Her Forever
by LoveAvonTARDIS
Summary: How would the Doctor's life be affected if Rose had managed to hold on and hadn't been trapped in the parallel world? Can the Doctor and Rose be happy in a world that's trying to tear them apart? And why does everyone but Rose know what's going on? Will they get Rose's forever? Series 3 Rewrite. [Cover art by viria13]
1. Chapter 1

**As promised, I'm posting the first chapter to my newest Doctor/Rose story up today. It's a bit different to any other story I've written since it's a rewrite of Series 3. It's going to be weird for me to do because I wont have as much freedom as I'm used to. But don't worry, I promise that this story isn't just going to be Series 3 with a few sentences about Rose thrown in. As a huge Ten/Rose shipper, I promise there will be a lot of romance while sticking to the original outline for the third series. **

**Anyway, before I ramble on too much, happy new year! It's officially 2014! I dont know if that's a good or bad thing but for now I'm going to imagine its a good thing ;) **

**Chapter 1 is basically Doomsday but includes Rose's survival and a little romance at the end ;) hint hint**

**Enjoy.**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or the associated characters but the story plot/concept is my own.**

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Chapter 1 – Not So Doomsday

"Well? Isn't anyone going to ask, 'what is it with the glasses'?" the Doctor said while using his fingers to point to the glasses perched on his nose.

Rose grinned widely. "What is it with the glasses?" she giggled.

The Doctor threw his hand in the air as he cried, "I can see, that's what", causing Rose to laugh.

Everyone but Rose looked at the Time Lord in confusion. With a small smile he proceeded to explain. "Because we've got two separate worlds, but in between the two separate worlds, we've got the Void," he used his hands in an attempt to dumb it down slightly. "That's where the Daleks were hiding. And the Cybermen; travelled through the Void to get here. And you lot, one world to another, via the Void. Oh, I like that. Via the Void!" he beamed, gesturing widely. Rose smirked. "Look", the Doctor said, moving towards her and taking the 3-D glasses from his face. He gently maneuvered them onto the bridge of her nose as she held them to her face.

"I've been through it. Do you see?" he asked as he moved from side to side.

Rose stared in wonder as thousands of small speckles of air radiated from all side of the Doctor, floating around him. As he moved, they floated close by, like magnets stuck to him at all times. Her eyes widened slightly as she continued to look at the strange components, ignoring the faint call from the computer.

"Reboot in three minutes."

Rose moved slightly closer to the Doctor, letting her hand skim over his shoulder. She watched as the small specks proceeded to move around her hand as she let it glide through them. "What is it?" she asked in wonder.

The Doctor grinned. "Void stuff."

She let her hand fall back to her side as she bit her lip, thinking. "Like, er, background radiation!" she cried excitedly.

The Doctor nodded with a crazed smile. "That's it. Look at the others" he said as he stepped beside her and set his hands on her waist. She ignored the tingled sensation that shot through her at his touch and let him turn her around, arms curling around her midriff as he pointed to her family (save for Jake). She blinked in surprise when she noticed the same radiation that surrounded the Doctor, surrounding Pete, Mickey and Jake. "And the only one who hasn't been through the Void, your mother." The Doctor stopped pointing, smiling slightly. "First time she's looked normal all in her life", he muttered, only half-joking.

Rose giggled. She loved how close the Doctor was with her family, even if it was slightly weird. He was able to be himself and joke about Jackie, knowing that she knew he was being playful.

"Oi!" Jackie cried.

The Doctor ignored her, running from behind Rose and towards the wall at the far end of the room, where the breach was. He spread his arms wide as he ran, and Rose ran behind him.

"But the Daleks lived inside the Void. They're bristling with it. Cybermen, all of them. I just open the Void and reverse. The Void stuff gets sucked back inside."

"Pulling them all in!" Rose cried cheerfully.

"Pulling them all in!"

Rose and the Doctor shared a mutual smile before he turned to the others.

Mickey looked at the Doctor, slightly confused. "Sorry, what's the Void?"

The Doctor's smile faltered and he looked serious. "The dead space. Some people call it Hell."

Mickey hid his shock behind a small smile. "So you're sending the Daleks and Cybermen to Hell? Man, I told you he was good," he chuckled, nudging Jake.

Rose couldn't stop the smile on her face as she looked at the Doctor in admiration. He really was something. This was really going to work! Everything with void stuff would be sucked back in. Everything that had been through the void from one world to…. another.

Her face fell as she realised. "But it's like you said; we've all got Void stuff. Me too, because we went to that parallel world." She lifted her hand, looking at the specks of radiation around her skin as confirmation. "We're all contaminated. We'll get pulled in", she panicked, tearing the glasses off her face.

The Doctor's face fell as he walked up to her, looking down at her with as natural of a face as he could manage. "That's why you've got to go."

His words made Rose freeze as she looked up at him. His eyes were hollow of emotion and she knew he was trying to hide his discomfort at the situation. She couldn't hear anything, not even the "Reboot in two minutes" from the computer. She could only hear her frantic heart pounding in her ears as she attempted to comprehend what the Doctor had said.

He continued to explain, but Rose wasn't listening. "Back to Pete's world" he mumbled, his throat tight. "Hey, we should call it that. Pete's World" he exclaimed, looking away from Rose, hoping she wouldn't see his face. Jackie sent him an almost sympathetic look, knowing that, although this was what was best for her daughter, it was going to break both his and Rose's hearts. "I'm opening the Void, but only on this side. You'll be safe on that side", he said, letting his eyes land on Rose once more.

She couldn't seem to take her eyes off of him, even when he looked at Pete, assuring him the breach would close itself.

"And that's it. Kaput."

Rose's eyes were wet as she looked at the alien she had fallen in love with, oh so long ago. She couldn't – wouldn't - loose him just because he thought it was safer for her. He had done it once before, and he would be dead had she not have gone back. "But you stay on this side?" she asked, the edge in her voice making it obvious she was holding back tears.

"But you'll get pulled in!" Mickey said.

The Doctor didn't say anything, he just looked at Rose; that strong, brave, smart, _beautiful, _pink and yellow human. They both shared a look, both hoping that the words they feared the most were obvious through their gazes, but both too scared to believe what they saw.

Taking his eyes off of her, the Doctor looked at Mickey before running across the room towards Yvonne's office. He knew Rose was still following him with her gaze.

"That's why I got these", he lifted up both Magnaclamps, holding them in the air for a second before dropping them at his feet. "I'll just have to hold on tight. I've been doing it all my life" he muttered the last sentence before shifted to look at Rose as she slowly walked back towards them.

"I'm supposed to go?" she asked. She already knew what his answer would be.

"Yeah." He said no more as he moved towards a nearby computer, determined to not make eye contact with her, knowing that if he did, he would beg her to stay with him. It was for her own good.

Rose ignored her mother's stare as she looked at the Doctor. "To another world, and then it gets sealed off?"

He kept his eyes on the computer screen as he typed furiously. "Yeah", he said, quieter this time.

"Forever?" Rose asked, shocked. When he failed to answer, she shook her head, chuckling. Did he honestly expect her to be okay with losing him? To leave him? "Well that's not going to happen", she laughed.

The Doctor refused to look at her and Rose knew it was because he couldn't manage it. She opened her mouth to speak, taking another small step towards him, when the entire building shook. Gasping she stumbled back as the Daleks and Cybermen outside continued to cry out in attack.

When the building stopped shaking, she straightened up.

Pete sighed, grabbing Jackie's arm as he walked in Rose's direction. "We haven't got time to argue. The plan works. We're going. You too," he insisted, pointing to two other parallel Torchwood workers. "All of us" he said, giving Rose a look.

Rose didn't care. She let them all move past her. "No, I'm not leaving him!"

Rose missed the Doctor's eyes close as the risk of tears grew.

Jackie shook Pete's arm off of her. "I'm not going without her."

"Oh, my God. We're going!"

Jackie glowered. "I've had twenty years without you, so button it. I'm not leaving her!"

As much as Rose loved her mum and wanted her to stay, she knew that she would be safer, and happier, on the other side. She'd have Pete, money, stability. She could even start a family.

"You've got to" Rose insisted, grabbing her mother's arm and turning her around. She hoped that the look she sent her mother would be enough for her to see she wanted what was best for her.

Jackie shook her head. "Well, that's tough!"

Rose sighed, looking at the woman she had grown up with, the woman who had raised her and loved her no matter what she did, with the saddest of smiles. "Mum", she whispered hoarsely. "I've had a life with you for nineteen years, but then I met the Doctor", she started. Her eyes were wet and her words came out strangled but she refused to stop. "And all the things I've seen him do for me, for you, for all of us, for the whole stupid planet and every planet out there - he does it alone, mum. I can't leave him. He-" she choked on her words. She wouldn't say what she wanted to say. She knew it wasn't right for him to hear it for the first time when she was telling someone else. "He's my life now, Mum."

Jackie stared at her daughter in shock. She knew that Rose was in love with the alien, but after years of denying it, she was surprised to hear her daughter say something so meaningful in front of him, whether he knew the meaning behind her words of not.

The Doctor looked up from the screen of the computer at Rose. He quietly stood up, and made his way around the desk towards her. Pete gave him a stern look and the Doctor knew what he meant by it. He knew what he had to do, knew what he should do, but her words were seared into his mind. He was her life?

"He's only got- he's all alone, mum. But not anymore, 'cos now he's got me." Rose blushed at her words, moving back to stand slightly in front of the Doctor.

Pete's eyes were trained on the Doctor as he took the Dimension Cannon out of his pocket, turning it over in his hands for a second. He blinked back the tears as he reached up to drop it around her neck, but stopped short when he felt her take his hand.

All thoughts of sending her away were thrown out the window just by the feeling of her hand in his. It wasn't much, but it was almost her silent confirmation that, no matter what, she was by his side.

With a silent sigh of defeat, he lowered his hand, quickly hiding the cannon in his pocket.

Jackie's eyes were full of tears. "I'm not leaving you. I'll stay too" she insisted, pushing Pete away from her when he tried to advance.

Rose shook her head, sniffling. "It's not fair on you mum. You're all alone in that flat and you sit there and wait, and hope, that I'm gonna come home. It's not fair. You deserve a family that's there and a nice house and a good life. Pete? He can give you that mum."

Pete seemed to consider Rose's words but it wasn't him she was worrying about. Jackie bit her lip, moving towards her daughter slowly.

"I can't change your mind, can I?"

Rose shook her head, holding the Doctor's hand tighter. "I love you mum", she managed to get out before breaking into tears, launching herself into her mother's arms.

Jackie burst into tears too, clutching her daughter to her as tightly as possible, stroking a hand up and down her back lovingly. She knew this was the last time she'd get to hold her own daughter in her arms, and she wouldn't even have a picture of her to look back at in the other world. No photo albums, no videos, no nothing. She pushed Rose back slightly, cupping her face and looking her over in an attempt to memorise every detail. "I love you too", she promised, kissing her daughter briefly before stepped back, rubbing her eyes.

Rose stepped back too, hand over her mouth to keep back and cries.

The Doctor shifted from one foot to the other awkwardly as he waited for Pete to shout at him. When Pete simply nodded to him, he blinked in surprise. Jackie's voice brought him out of his train of thought.

"And you", she started, pointing at the Time Lord with a sad, stern and somewhat proud smile. "Remember that, you're all she's got. So, you look after her and you love her and you show her the stars". The Doctor's eyes widened slightly at the word 'love'. "Oh don't give me that!" Jackie exclaimed. "Just bloomin' admit it! You love her, she loves you. 'Cos the thing is Doctor, you might not have the rest of _your _forever with her, but you sure as hell have the rest of _her's_. So don't waste it!"

Rose smirked at her mother, for once not angry about her interfering in her Doctor-related problems. Before she could manage another word though, Pete had pressed down on the large yellow cannon and Jackie, Pete, Mickey and Jake had dissolved into nothing and left the universe. With one final sniffle, Rose wiped her eyes and turned to the Doctor.

"So, what can I do to help?"

The Doctor looked at her, almost shocked that she had spoken. "Um… you can, er, set those co-ordinates to 6" he gestured to one of the many computers. "Hurry", he whispered, gently pushing her in the direction of the screen.

Pushing her hair behind her ear, Rose set to work. The Doctor moved to another computer and started to do the same.

"Doctor!" Rose called, alarmed. "We've got Cybermen on the way up."

The Doctor raced to her side, looking over her shoulder at the screen. "How many floors down?"

"Just the one"

The Doctor shook his head, running back to Yvonne's former office. "Don't worry; by the time they get up here, the breach'll be open!"

Rose followed him into the office, watching as he typed on Yvonne's computer briefly.

"Levers operational", the computer called, causing the Doctor to crack a smile.

Rose grinned. "That's more like it. Bit of a smile. The old team."

The Doctor looked up at her with a wink, turning and grabbing the Magnaclamps. "Hope and Glory, Mutt and Jeff, Shiver and Shake."

"Which one's Shiver?"

"Oh, I'm Shake", he insisted, dropping the Magnaclamp in her arms. She giggled, following him out into the Void Chamber.

The Doctor moved over to one wall, lifting the clamp onto the stone wall beside the lever. He turned to look at Rose as she did the same. "Press the red button", he called. Both pressed the button, watching as a little red light lit up on the top of the clamps, which were now both firmly on the wall.

"When it starts, just hold on tight. Shouldn't be too bad for us but the Daleks and the Cybermen are steeped in Void stuff," the Doctor smiled slightly, moving to the base of the lever at his side. Rose ran round to hers. "Are you ready?"

Rose nodded, looking up to the window where 4 Daleks were flying menacingly towards the building, eye stalks trained on the pair. "So are they" she breathed in fear.

The Doctor followed her gaze, "Let's do it!" he shouted.

Rose grunted as she and the Doctor pushed the heavy levers up into a vertical position. They clicked into place as the computer announced they were online. Rose grabbed onto her clamp, wrapping her arm around the metal. The Doctor watched her the entire time.

Both gasped as a bright white light shot into the room, illuminating them as they clung onto the clamps. A strong gush of wind rushed in, blowing both of them back slightly. Rose watched as the window to Yvonne's office was torn apart as the Dalek's were sucked through, all 4 flying towards the wall with a scream. "Emergency! Emergency!"

Rose blinked against the assault, the wind hurting her eyes. She could faintly hear the Doctor's cry.

"The breach is open! Into the Void! Ha!"

She looked over at him, wind whipping her hair in all directions. His face broke out into a wide smile as they made eye contact, ignoring the screams as the Daleks and Cybermen were hauled into the white light.

Rose knew something was wrong before anything happened, but the second the lever by her side sparked uncontrollably, Rose gasped. She knew that this was probably it, her death; falling into Hell. Well, the beast _from _Hell did say himself that she'd die in battle.

The Doctor looked over towards the sound of sparks, his eyes widening and his smile falling. His breath caught in his throat as he furiously struggled to reach Rose as she leant towards the slowly lowering lever. Her face was scrunched in determination and concentration but the fear in her eyes was so prominent, he could see it from across the room. She let out a disgruntled moan as her fingers skimmed over the lever, threatening to lose it.

"Offline."

The computer's voice only seemed to spur Rose on. She stretched as far as she could until her fingers curled around the black cloth of the lever handle. She dropped the hand that formally held onto the clamp, using it as leverage in an attempt to lift the lever.

The Doctor kept his eyes on her the whole time. His hearts were pattering like machine guns as he watched her struggle against the strength of the wind, which was admittedly slowing down, but was still strong. His mind churned uncontrollably as he tried to think of something that could save her, that could protect her against the current that he had no doubt, would literally sweep her off her feet.

An idea flickered in his mind, and though the probability of it working was slim, the Doctor forced his eyes off of Rose. Diving into his inner suit pocket, the Doctor felt around for the sonic. Were it not for his stupid desire to have trans-dimensional pockets, he would have found it sooner.

When he felt the cold metal against his fingertips he tore the device from his pocket, looking back at Rose. She was now turning, her arms twisting awkwardly as she attempted to both hold on and get around to push the lever up. Her feet were sliding, whether from the floor or the force of the wind he had no idea.

"Rose! Hold on!" he cried. Usually he would have received a snarky response like 'I am', but Rose only gasped against the wind.

"I've got to get it up right", she panted to no one but herself, pushing the lever with the only strength she had left.

"Just hold on!" the Doctor hollered, brandishing his sonic screwdriver and thrusting it in her direction. He narrowed his eyes at the lever as he purposely pressed down on the button, the blue light bursting to life and the familiar buzz erupting in the air.

Rose looked over at him as the lever sparked once more, staying in position but obviously increasing in power. The computer's voice no sooner called out Rose's warning, "Online". She could instantly feel the force of the wind getting stronger but, using the energy she would have used to push against the lever, she held on.

Gasping as she was turned onto her side, Rose scrambled at the metal. She could faintly hear the Doctor's cries.

The Doctor blinked back his tears as he watched her continue to struggle. Deep down, a part of him knew that she wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer and his words were doing nothing to encourage her. Taking a deep breath, he shouted across the room the only words he could think of.

"Rose!" he howled, catching her attention. She looked at him, eyelids fluttering to keep her eyes moist against the wind. "Please", the Doctor begged. "Hold on. I-I can't lose you."

Rose stared at him in wonder, slightly taken aback by his confession. Screaming, she felt her fingers slip and furiously crawled at the lever, just managing to hook the ends of her fingers around it.

"Rose, I need you. Please, hold on. For me Rose."

She looked back over at the Doctor, _her _Doctor. Grunting one last time, she pulled as hard as she could, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Her death didn't scare her, at least not as much as she initially thought it would. She wasn't scared of dying and losing all she loved. No. She was scared for him.

She knew that the Doctor hid his pain and broken soul behind a mask of happiness and excitement but the beast, the broken man inside of him, was only just below the surface. She knew that, in his first body with her, he had been a wounded soldier- gashes open and bleeding. She was well aware that she was the one who had applied the bandages but she was always worried that if she was taken from him, his wounds would only be torn back open.

Just as before, the current got stronger for only a second before it began to die down and Rose knew that it was over. Her aching fingers had barely let go of the lever and the wind hadn't even stopped before she was lifted from the ground, the Doctor's arms wrapped like vices around her. She smiled in relief, enveloping him in a warm hug as he buried his face in her hair. His chants were quiet but Rose could faintly hear him whispered her name over and over again as he swung her in his arms. Laughing as she cried, Rose combed her hands through his hair, drinking in the feel of him around her. They fit together like two pieces of the same puzzle and she had a hard time not tearing his face from her hair and plastering her lips on his.

"Rose. Oh, my Rose", he whispered, cradling her like he would a new born baby or a prized possession.

_Then again_, thought Rose, _maybe I am one of his most prized "possessions"_.

She stroked his back, hushing him into silence. "It's ok. I'm alright, I'm here", she promised.

The Doctor nodded, breathing deeply and unevenly. Pulling back to look her in the eyes, he sent her the most intense gaze he could manage before muttering quietly. "Good."

Before she could even begin to comprehend what had happened, Rose felt his lips crash into hers and a wave of both excitement and shock wash over her. She didn't take more than a second to respond, driving her hands into the tresses of his wild hair, tugging the strands in all possible directions. His quiet sounds of approval urged her to run her nails along his scalp as her mouth hungrily caressed his own. His fingers tightened around the bunching material at her waist, squeezing her hips and holding her as tight as possible. He drew her closer, mumbling into her mouth as he poured his heart and soul into the strokes of his lips against hers. He delved into the caverns of her mouth with his tongue, doing nothing more daring than gently exploring her mouth while she whimpered at the sensation. When her lungs cried for air she lowered her head, his lips slipping from hers and her nose pressing against his collar bone. Panting equally as heavy as she was, the Doctor kissed her hair quickly before pushing her away to get a look at her.

Her chest was rising and falling frantically as she regained her breath and she watched as his eyes landed on her hands. Taking her petite hands in his, he turned them over, wincing at the raw skin of her palms. His eyes glinted as he looked up at her, saying his silent apologies.

He took the screwdriver from his pocket, twirling it in his free hand as the other ran gently over her palm with the pad of his thumb. Rose watched as he gently raised her hand and flitted the glowing sonic over her skin, lip bit in attentiveness. There was a small yet noticeable tingling feeling in her skin as it slowly paled to her natural tone and within a few seconds even the tickle of the working device ceased to exist. She sighed in relief and waited for the Doctor to do the same to her other hand. When he was satisfied with his work, he drew her hands to his mouth, gently peppering her skin with kisses meant to sooth.

"Thanks", Rose muttered nervously.

The Doctor nodded in acknowledgement before taking her newly repaired hand in his. "Shiver and Shake, ei?"

Rose grinned, tongue in between her teeth. She moved ahead and pulled on his hand playfully. "C'mon Shake."

The Doctor smirked, letting her pull him out of the room, leaving it behind forever.

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**I know its not the most dramatic or entertaining first chapter but it's just so that Rose's survival makes a bit more sense. To be completely honest, when watching Doomsday I thought that was what the Doctor was going to do (lock the leavers with the sonic) but he didn't :( Also, if you read my other story, I used the idea of locking the leaver in that.**

**Either way, the story will be picking up by next chapter and series 3 episodes will then start. Next chapter, Rose is kind of battling with all these mixed emotions and a few confessions are made. But BEWARE... the Doctor and Rose's relationship may seem fine one minute, but with a few words, can crumble the next. **

**Anyway, enough of scaring you ;)**

**Next chapter SHOULD be up within a few days, a week at the most. Chances are I'll be posting on Sundays :) Hope that's ok. **

**Lots of love :D**


	2. Goodbyes, Surprise and a Runaway Bride

**Hey guys! **

**I'm so glad that you guys all enjoyed last chapter! I got so much positive feedback, from the reviews to the follows. I can't believe that in one chapter I got over 20 follows so thank you for that. **

**I hope you enjoy this chapter :) **

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**_Last Chapter_**

_He took the screwdriver from his pocket, twirling it in his free hand as the other ran gently over her palm with the pad of his thumb. Rose watched as he gently raised her hand and flitted the glowing sonic over her skin, lip bit in attentiveness. There was a small yet noticeable tingling feeling in her skin as it slowly paled to her natural tone and within a few seconds even the tickle of the working device ceased to exist. She sighed in relief and waited for the Doctor to do the same to her other hand. When he was satisfied with his work, he drew her hands to his mouth, gently peppering her skin with kisses meant to sooth._

_"Thanks", Rose muttered nervously._

_The Doctor nodded in acknowledgement before taking her newly repaired hand in his. "Shiver and Shake, ei?"_

_Rose grinned, tongue in between her teeth. She moved ahead and pulled on his hand playfully. "C'mon Shake."_

_The Doctor smirked, letting her pull him out of the room, leaving it behind forever. _

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Chapter 2 - Goodbyes, Surprise and a Runaway Bride

What with Rose's lack of interest in the quantum physics of reality, she had decided to leave the Doctor in the console room to deal with his discoveries. It had now been 3 weeks since Canary Warf and the Doctor had promised to find a remaining crack in between the universes in which she could possible see her mother again the second they left in the TARDIS.

It wasn't that she didn't believe in the Doctor – on the contrary, she believed if anyone could do it, he could – but she didn't want to get her hopes up. The inevitable would come and the Doctor would tell her that he couldn't find one eventually. At least when that time came, she would be prepared.

Save for a few collapsing stars, they had come across absolutely nothing while floating around in the vortex. Rose had taken to occasionally sitting outside, legs hanging off the edge of the TARDIS and looking out at the stars. It wasn't the most exciting pastime but it was something to do while the Doctor rambled on about various numbers and facts about the neighbouring planets of earth to pass the time.

On the last day of the third week, Rose looked around for the Doctor. He hadn't said goodnight to her the night before, which she had let pass, but then he hadn't made himself known at breakfast and was not in the console room, library, swimming pool, pear archery room or even his bedroom. Not that she knew where his bedroom was.

After at least 2 hours of searching, Rose decided to give up and headed back to the console room.

"Doctor?" she gasped.

He was there, leaning against a strut without a care in the world, gently caressing his sonic with his thumb. "Yeah?" he backhanded, eyes trained on the flickering blue light.

Rose frowned, moving completely into the room. "Where were you? I've been looking for you all morning", she shook her head, exasperated. He was biting his lip, grinning a cheeky, childish smile. Rose couldn't resist smiling back.

"I've been busy. Might've dropped my sonic out the TARDIS. Had to extend the gravity field to get it back."

Rose rolled her eyes uncontrollably at his stupidity. "Are you sure you're 900? You act like you're 9", she mocked, giving him a small smile and a daring look. He turned to her and smiled kindly.

"Yes well. What's the point in being grown up if you can't be a little childish sometimes, ei?"

Rose smiled. "Yeah I guess so."

A few seconds later, with their gazes still locked, the TARDIS let out a whirring cry, erupting into a blast of sound. The Doctor bounced to his feet, throwing the sonic onto the jump seat, and raced to the console, spinning the screen into his line of vision with a determined frown. Rose followed suit, attempting to read the spiralling circles and shapes that flashed across the screen in the Doctor's language. She didn't entirely understand how or why the Time Lords would choose such complicated and hard ways of portraying their language but it was beautiful nonetheless.

"What does it say?"

The Doctor looked at her with a somewhat cautious gaze but furthermore, ignored her question.

He muttered something the TARDIS refused to translate and something else that sounded like, "power… burn… supernova", which only made Rose more and more confused.

"Okay, I don't speak crazy. Want to stop mumbling and tell me what's going on?"

"Don't worry."

"Well I'm gonna worry", she sighed, rushing around the console with him.

The Doctor _huffed. _"I've found a gap." He shrugged, flicking a final switch and a crackling imagine of a beach projected itself into a small space in the TARDIS.

It was a beautiful looking beach but at the same time, kind of dreary. It was empty, save for a single car parked in the distance with what looked like 3 occupants. There were large black rocks around the landscape and a small path that Rose assumed was for the public. "What is this place?"

The Doctor closed his eyes briefly and when he opened them again, he took Rose's shoulder's in his hands. Rose looked up at him with a pout, eyes void of emotion. He quickly pecked her lips and nodded, answering her silent question.

Rose turned back to the small projection, gazing into the other world until familiar blond hair could be seen slowly sliding from the car. She squeaked as her throat tightened and her eyes fluttered shut as she steadied her breathing. The Doctor didn't interfere, knowing she needed a moment to come to both the realization and acceptance of the situation. This was all he could give her; a few minutes to say goodbye.

When Jackie moved closer to what Rose assumed was some sort of hollow projection of herself, she looked straight through it. Rose sent the Doctor an urgent look and he quickly ran across to the console, flicking a friendly looking orange button. Not only did the picture clear up, but Jackie's eyes widened as she spotted her daughter.

"Where are you?" she whispered hoarsely and Rose could tell she was holding back tears. Whether they were of joy or not, Rose had no idea.

At Rose's lack of words, the Doctor stepped into view and provided an answer. "Inside the TARDIS. There's one tiny gap in the universe left and we've been searching for weeks. It's just about to close and it's hard to do this – the projection, I mean – and it won't last long. We're orbiting a supernova. I'm burning up a sun for Rose to say goodbye", he explained before pushing Rose in front of him slightly, "so, I suggest you say what you need to now."

Rose gasped, looking at him in shock, having not known the lengths he had gone to, to provide her with a few minutes with her mother. Jackie nodded, licking her lips and waving for what looked like Pete and Mickey to come up. They took their time, and while they waited, Jackie addressed her daughter.

"Are you happy?" she asked, cutting straight to the point.

Rose let out a breathy laugh before nodding, lip bit and tears streaming. Jackie smiled sadly. "I'm glad."

The Doctor smiled at the Tyler's. He never admitted it but he loved both women very much, including Jackie. Obviously in _very _different ways but nonetheless, he did love Jackie in his own, messed-up way. She was like the mother-in-law he never wanted.

"I love you mum", Rose choked. She brought her fingertips to her mouth as she stuttered.

Jackie beamed. "I love you too sweetheart, more than you'll ever know." She then turned to the slightly less focused holographic image of the Doctor. "Any you", she smiled, "I love you too. Whether you want to me or not, I love you like I do Rose- maybe not as much though", she winked.

The Doctor nodded, eyelids fluttering to keep back tears. "Yeah", he breathed, "Mother-in-law I never wanted, ei?" Jackie laughed. Rose looked up at the Doctor, wrapping her arm around him. He smiled down at her and did the same before turning to Jackie once more. "And I suppose, I…" he paused, a lump forming in his throat. Groaning, he spotted Mickey and Pete turning up at Jackie's sides. What a coincidence they turned up now. "I, er, love you... too Jackie".

Rose giggled at his expression; disgust with a little bit of hidden love and admiration behind it.

"So, can't you guys come through?" Mickey asked. Pete cast him a side glance, nodding in agreement.

The Doctor shook his head. "The whole thing would fracture. Two universes would collapse."

Rose nodded sadly, burying her face in the Doctor's chest.

"So?" Jackie joked causing the group to snort. Rose grinned.

"Where, er, are we- you, I mean- you?" she stuttered.

Jackie furrowed her brows in confusion. "Some beach in Norway. Bloody Norway! Thanks for that spaceman. Had to take a zeppelin all the way here. It's called Dårlig Ulv Stranden or something."

"Dalek?"

"Dårlig" she corrected Rose. "Norweigen for something or other", she brushed it aside.

Mickey chuckled lightly. "Bad Wolves Bay, I think", he supplied.

"Bad _Wolf_ Bay", Pete agreed.

Rose and the Doctor froze, eyes wide until they both let out an ironic laugh. "How original", Rose rolled her eyes as the Doctor nudged her side gently.

Pete coughed purposely before nodded to Jackie who seemed to be biting her lip nervously. She looked directly at her daughter's eyes – well the hologram of her daughter, but either way – and smiled. "I'm pregnant," she grinned.

Rose stared at her mother in disbelief for a second as she battled with her emotions before she broke out into a wide grin. "I'm so happy for you", she gushed, her tears now from happiness. The Doctor congratulated her too before moving from Rose's side to stroke the console, watching as the dial slowly continued to turn, it's small arrow verging on the mark '30'.

"Rose, 30 seconds" he warned.

She nodded. "Mum, I'm so happy for you. I want you to be happy and have the life you've always wanted with the man you've always wanted and I'm sure the baby you've always wanted", she joked, "but either way, I want you to know I'm happy, I'm safe and I love you. Oh, and make sure you tell my little brother or sister all about us", she added, nodding to the Doctor.

"I will, I promise. I am happy and I hope you are too sweetheart. I love you", Jackie cried. "And you, Time Lord, you look after my baby", she pointed a stern finger in his direction.

The Doctor nodded as the dial hit '10.' "With my life" he vowed.

The image slowly began to tear apart, Rose's figure slowly dissolving into whispers of nothing. Just before the image disappeared completely, Jackie let out a sob as she heard her daughter call once more, "I love you."

Back in the TARDIS, Rose was gasping against her cries as she collapsed into the Doctor's arms. The Doctor cradled her to his chest tightly as she cried, holding her chest and clawing at her top, right above her aching heart.

Rose decided to stay in her room for the rest of the night. Part of her wanted the Doctor's comfort but the other wanted to be alone. That and the fact that she wasn't entirely sure on the whole 'Doctor' situation.

Her mind was swarming with questions about everything that happened between Canary Warf and now. She was absolutely terrified of what was to come and the Doctor wasn't making it easy on her. He hadn't kissed her or made any sort of romantic gesture or embrace since then, save for the small waist-holding he did earlier. She always knew that he was never bold when it came to romantic implications but either way, she wanted to clear it all out. She was confused; did the kiss only happen because he nearly lost her? Was it only the once? Was this a permanent arrangement? Did he love her?

Her mind hurt the more she thought about it. She ended up confusing herself a few minutes into thinking about it.

A large part of her just wanted to mourn the loss of her family and spend time alone but another, possibly a larger part of her, wanted to get up, get out and confront the Doctor.

Yet, her want for alone time was short lived and she found she could no longer cry at her loss. The permanent tear tracks that were etched into her cheeks were enough proof of her distress but her eyes were void of tears. She ended up needing something to do.

Grunting, she flipped onto her front, letting her feet dangle from the bed as she read through an alien book from the 43rd Century. It was called 'Love in Ki'adcha'chi' or something.

Rose's mouth fell open as she read the blurb. Gasping, she threw the book across the room.

_How did I manage to pick out one of the only romantic books unintentionally, that stars an alien who's the last of its kind and a 43__rd__ century human? _She screamed at herself. Thankfully, the girl, who actually was the alien in this story, wasn't called Rose or anything similar and the guy's name was Derek. Although it admittedly started with a _D, _she could let that slide, as long as she didn't read any more than the blurb.

It sounded crazy but at the end of the day, she didn't exactly want to be reading about people in the pretty much the same position as her and the Doctor but succeeding and probably not having it half as bad.

She ran her hands through her hair to relieve her stress before deciding it might be best to just talk to the Doctor. She had admittedly been in her room for 4 hours so he was bound to be worried about her.

_So much for staying in your room for the rest of the night, _she chided herself.

Rose left her room silently, making not a single noise, not even when she closed the door on her hair and then had it pulled when she moved. She was completely quiet as she trekked down the impressive hallways of the time ship, until she spotted the familiar ebony door.

She held her breath as she opened the door to the kitchen. Breathing a sigh of relief, she looked around, finding the room empty of any attractive Time Lords.

Yes, she wanted to confront him or at least talk to him but… she could wait. Yes… she could definitively wait.

Grabbing a box of Luxitorian Cereal, from the planet Luxitore (a planet she and the Doctor had visited just before Krop Tor and the black hole), from the cupboard on the wall, Rose set herself a place at the surprisingly small dining table. Casting a glance at her watch, she chuckled briefly. Trust her to want cereal at 8 o'clock. Lingering for a moment, she let the round flakes peacefully soak up the milk as she sluggishly swirled her spoon around in the creamy contents. Letting out a sigh of pleasure at the quiet around her, Rose began to eat.

As her mouth closed around the spoon and she prepared to chew, the door burst open and hit the wall behind it. Rose screamed, spitting the food that had managed to get into her mouth onto the table's linen sheets. Gasping, she turned to the door accusingly.

The Doctor was standing with one hand on the open door and the other on the door frame. He cowered slightly at Rose's gaze, nervously shifting from one foot to the other. "Um… hey?" he tried, only to be shot down by the 'really-Doctor?' look Rose was giving him.

"Sorry", he apologised quickly, moving into the room. "I was just in the library when the TARDIS warn- told!- told me, you were up and about. Came looking for you", he smiled.

Rose's frown softened to an only slightly forced smile. She nodded, looking down at her hand. The silence that filled the room was tense and Rose couldn't seem to find the courage to say anything. Luckily, she didn't have to, since the awkwardness promptly forced the Doctor into a tight corner which he could only think one way out of.

"Ah, I see you chose Luxitorian Powder Balls. Nice them. You know, they are actually a large part of the society on Luxitore, as I'm sure I must have mentioned while we were there, although at the time we were kind of being chased by rabid flesh eating horses that resembled a somewhat retarded donkey. Mind you, donkeys don't really get... retarded. Do they? I mean, I've never really thought about the strange anatomy of a donkey or its ability to be retarded in some way but I mean… I'm sure if they wanted to then they could be. You know me Rose; never underestimate the slightly dumber species of the universe. Everyone's capable."

Rose stared at him in disbelief, watching as his mouth moved, what looked like, a thousand miles per hour. She couldn't stop the small smile that graced her features as she watched him, hyper, as he continued to explain the vast facts he knew about a donkey's abilities.

"You know, you'd be surprised by donkeys. I bet if you put a donkey and a Shambadya into a ring, the donkey would win. Mind you that would probably be because the Shambadya doesn't really fight. They really just lie under sand and poop on the rocks and debris under it. I'd love to see that. Not the pooping, obviously, but maybe the Shambadya and donkey going up against each other. Wonder if that would be worth a watch. What do you say Ro-"

"Doctor?" Rose interrupted quickly, before he could carry on. Knowing him he could probably start a conversation on a Shambadya and within 5 minutes end up discussing a Dalek's inability to reproduce naturally, so she'd rather stop him there.

He quickly returned his attention to his blonde companion. It didn't surprise Rose that his glazed-over eyes became clearer as he focused back on reality, probably having been imagining what he was describing.

"Sorry. You know me; big brain, big mouth. I think a million different things at once, hard to keep them from spilling out every now and then."

Rose rolled her eyes unnoticeably. Hard-to-keep-them-from-spilling-out my arse! He certainly managed to keep himself to himself when it concerned love or commitment or responsibility or… **her. **

Groaning, Rose rubbed her eyes and leant against her palm, elbow on the table. She looked straight at the Doctor as she said 4 words that she knew would shock him into silence; they'd be far too domestic for him.

The Doctor watched her cautiously, giving her a moment to think before she spoke.

"We need to talk."

The Doctor frowned.

Not only were those words unrealistically domestic, but truly terrifying- or at least for him. The last time he had heard Rose say those words, she had been confronting him about the fact he had jumped through a time window to save Reinette, who he had admittedly been infatuated with. Then again, it was a very short-lived infatuation. That certainly hadn't been a very nice "talk". And then before that, just after Sarah Jane had left, Rose had caught him alone and confronted him about his very long history of companions and had decided to reveal that she knew she was going to die one day and that she hoped he wouldn't forget her- which was a little far-fetched in his opinion. The fact she even thought that he would ever forget her not only surprised him but slightly humoured him. He'd never forget her.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he straightened up, nervously shifting under her gaze.

"Um, o…kay?" he stuttered frighteningly.

Rose smiled slightly at his reaction but otherwise remained silent. She too sat up straighter before standing, fetching her bowl and throwing it lazily into the sink. When she turned back to the Doctor, she crossed her arms and leant back against the counter.

"Okay, look Doctor", she began, her voice already straining. "The thing is, I've only just lost my mum and I can't bear to lose you either but at the same time… I can't just forget what happened. I lost my mum 4 hours ago and I haven't even given myself time to grieve yet 'cos I'm too busy trying to battle with myself and figure out what to do about you." She was quick to finish the sentence, dropping her head and simultaneously finding the laces of her shoes interesting.

The Doctor simply sat, eyes wide and mouth slightly ajar as he tried to comprehend where this might lead. He hadn't really thought what had happened after Rose's miraculous survival of the Canary Worf incident but he had no doubt in his mind that that was what she was subtly hinting at.

He narrowed his eyes, watching her intently as she continued to explain herself as best she could.

"I don't want some declaration of love or anything like that but I just need to know, Doctor. Why did you kiss me? Why did you kiss me and then act like nothing happened? Why won't you ever talk to me about it? Was it only the once or do you have feelings for me that you want to pursue? I don't… I don't know any more Doctor. I just want to know", she mumbled the last sentence almost inaudibly.

To her surprise, the Doctor grinned widely, standing from his seat and throwing his head back slightly to laugh. Rose stared in shock, glowering as he continued to let his reaction to the situation be known. Gradually, he reigned in his reaction, laughing a breathy hoot before calming down and wrapping a lazy arm around her as he leant back against the counter. Rose groaning, pushing his arm off of her roughly and taking a step back.

"How can you make a joke out of this? I'm trying to have a serious conversation", she glowered.

The Doctor's smile faltered almost immediately as he coughed slightly. "I'm not making a joke of this. I just think it's funny how you haven't figured it out yet."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Doctor", she sighed, getting annoyed now, "just talk to me."

The Doctor nodded. "I am" he insisted. "I'm just surprised that you haven't noticed yet. How can you actually ask whether I have feelings for you or not?"

Instantly, Rose's mind instinctively began conjuring up the worst possible thoughts she couldn't think of. Had this all been one big mistake? Maybe he really didn't have feelings for her. To be honest, it wouldn't surprise her if he didn't. He had experienced many losses throughout his very long life so it shouldn't be a surprise to think that he didn't or couldn't feel love. He had probably expelled the possibility long ago to save himself the trauma of losing someone. But then at the same time, maybe he just looked at her like a sister or best friend. He had told Jackie he loved her, whether it be the 'family' type or not, so he could definitively love.

The Doctor watched as Rose's eyes hollowed and could practically see the dials and cranks of her mind turn as she tried to figure out whether he did love her or not. Deciding to save her from her minds self-loathing thoughts, he quickly interfered.

"Rose", he let out a throaty laugh, "I'm a Time Lord and… because of that, I have always tried to keep a distance between myself and companions. I'm going to outlive you either way so from the moment we first met I tried to ignore the obvious attraction I had for you."

Rose smiled sadly, waiting for him to admit he only looked at her as a friend.

"But, then you came along and you just… made me happy. It's one thing to make a normal man happy Rose, but it's a completely different thing to make a broken man smile. I still can't seem to figure out what exactly it was that made me so entranced by you. The thing is Rose, what I have with you isn't some short-lived infatuation like it was with Reinette, and again, I'm sorry for that, but it's completely different. I keep trying to fight off the assault you have on my barriers. I try so hard to keep that wall between liking and loving you standing but every time I see you, you figuratively throw one more rock at the cracks that are already forming in that wall. And, I can't ignore it anymore Rose. Marion. Tyler." He grinned manically as he continued, watching Rose attempt to hide her shock. "I can't pretend that that wall didn't break and fall down a long, _long_ time ago." Surprised he had managed to get this far, the Doctor bit his lip, fighting the urge to run away. "I don't want you in my life Rose, I need you. That's why I begged you to hold on. You're the thing that's keeping me alive. It's you. Because, at the end of the day, I so much more than 'have feelings' for you. I-"

Once more, he froze, throat tight. As he tried to muster up the courage to just let it out. He knew what his words would mean, he knew what saying them would bring upon his and Rose's already complicated relationship.

"I- I… love you, Rose."

And with that, the Doctor slumped back, letting out a quiet gasp as he sunk back into his seat. It took a lot of effort, but he had effectively shoved that lump in his throat aside and had _finally _admitted it. It felt strange. Nothing was hugely different, but it felt as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

While the Doctor basked in the new feeling, Rose stared in shock. She had definitely not planned for her confrontation to turn on her. More so than that, she certainly hadn't expected the Doctor to actually proclaim his love for her. Although half of her mind was screaming and jumping with joy while her heart fluttered fancifully, the other half was too shocked to react and had her paralyzed.

Closing her ajar mouth, Rose turned to the Doctor, who had long since abandoned his joy to stare at her unmoving body in worry. Slowly, a smile crept onto her face as she looked at the man she honest to God, loved more than anything.

"Doctor", she breathed, still shocked. He smiled softly, but she would be a fool not to notice the fear in his eyes. "When you're young, you imagine what it's like to fall in love. You make up all these scenarios about how you're going to meet the man of your dreams. You'll bump into each other and he'll help you pick up your books, or he'll spot you and buy you a coffee or you'll meet and won't be able to take your eyes off each other." The Doctor raised an eyebrow, slightly confused. Rose ignored it and carried on. "But this isn't a dream… or Hollywood", she added jokingly. "I never once imagined I would meet the man I'd fall in love with at my job, at _Henrik's _for crying out loud, who would then proceed to blow up said job. But…you know what?"

The Doctor had seemingly failed to notice that she had mentioned she was in love with him so, rolling her eyes, she moved over to him and took his face in her hands. "I love you and I wouldn't change it for the world."

Within seconds, the Doctor was chuckling, grabbing her neck with his hand pulling her frantically into a passionate but gentle kiss. Rose sighed, relieved, and let him drown her in his kisses. He didn't say anything and neither did she as they both simply enjoyed the new found feel of each other's lips. Admittedly they had kissed before, but it was nothing to the chilling sensation that shot up and down Rose's spine as his lips tended to hers and he pulled her onto his lap as though it were a natural occurrence. Inwardly giggling like a school girl caught kissing behind the tech block, Rose wrapped her arms around his neck, pursuing his lips with a new found hunger. The Doctor responded just as eagerly, ravenously clawing at the fabric of her shirt as he tried to get her as close to him as physically possible. Groaning slightly, he hooked her legs around his waist, and, using his hands to support her bottom, lifted them both from the chair. Rose sighed contently, clutching him closer as he stumbled out of the room.

Nothing more than long, lustful make-out sessions occurred for the rest of the night, but either way, Rose and the Doctor were satisfied with only going so far. Both of them were only so prepared.

They definitively had more to talk about, much more. But at the end of the day, they had the rest of Rose's forever together, and they weren't going to waste it.

Within a week, Rose and the Doctor were back to their normal routines. The only thing that had changed since their encounter the night in the kitchen was that their schedules now consisted of a lot more kissing, holding hands and hugging.

Obviously, the Doctor was still very quiet and reserved about their entire relationship and rarely went beyond a 'love you too', but it hardly effected Rose. She knew it was in his blood to run away from situations like that of which they were in, so she was just grateful that he was even trying.

For the Doctor, the situation they were in was not only terrifying new territory, but it was territory that made him want to turn and run. His usual instincts would kick in whenever they got too close and his worries set in. He'd battle with himself as he decided whether or not to let it happen or to move away and distance himself and Rose. Yes he loved her, but he certainly didn't deserve her, and the short embraces were never enough to assure him that the situation they were in was right.

Regardless, he couldn't help but be proud of himself for not pushing her away as of yet. He'd have never lasted so long had it not been for the TARDIS's constant reminders – he loved her, so he should at least _try_ and figure out why and how she felt the same. Right?

It was around 7 o'clock when Rose woke up, in her room and wrapped in her thick duvet.

She was quick to shower, tie her hair into a messy ponytail, apply her makeup and change into jeans, converses, a light pink blouse and a pale denim jacket. She lightly applied eye shadow, mascara and lip gloss before grabbing her phone, slipping it into her pocket, and heading to the console room.

As per usual, the Doctor was leant against the console, flicking switched, pulling levers, twisting dials and typing co-ordinates. He was wearing his everyday suit, hair jelled into a stylish, sexy mess which Rose had to admit made her swoon, and had his glasses perched on his nose.

Grinning, Rose joined him, nudging his side. The Doctor looked at her, smirking.

"Morning", he greeted, looping his arm around her waist and pulling her into a chaste hug that made Rose frown slightly. When his eyes landed on her though, Rose beamed, turning around and leaning back against the main console.

She gently took one of the many post-it notes that hung on the console into her hand, looking over it with interest. Although she thought that the Time Lords had a very complicated and difficult language, it was undeniably beautiful in many ways. Its complexity and design were magnificent.

Sticking the never-ending sticky note onto the console's screen, Rose turned back to the Doctor. "So, where to today?" she smiled.

At her words, the Doctor leapt into action, moving around the large room, feet loudly stomping around the grating. Rose followed him around the console until he stopped at the small computer-like screen. Rose was quick to join him. The Doctor frowned. "We're still in the vortex", he mused.

"Why won't the TARDIS land?" Rose asked.

The Doctor shrugged.

Seconds later, a small wine sounded from the rotor of the TARDIS. The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows as he concentrated on the screen as the multiple shapes and Gallifreyan words and numbers flashed across the screen. Rose turned, her back to the door, and looked straight at the Doctor.

She wasn't sure what it was, but something about the Doctor mesmerized her. She watched as he stared at the screen, getting increasingly annoyed by the obvious lack of information the TARDIS provided. The Doctor, obviously feeling someone's eyes on him, turned to smile at Rose. Before his eyes landed on her though, he seemed to stare at something over her shoulder.

"What?" he gasped in surprise.

Rose raised an eyebrow before turning to face the door, jumping in shock when she came face to face with an angry looking redhead in a wedding dress.

"What?" Rose gasped in surprise.

"Who are you?" the redhead demanded, eyes wide and trained on the Doctor.

Rose stared up at the Time Lord. "Doctor?" Rose gulped. She was completely and utterly confused by the situations.

The Doctor ignored her and continued to stare at the intruder.

"Where am I?" she hollowed. Rose noticed that she looked both angry and terrified.

"Doctor? Where did she come-"

"What?" the Doctor cut her off, still unable to comprehend what was happening.

The woman fumed. "What the hell is this place?" she screamed.

"WHAT?"

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**Hehehe :D Donna's here! That's right... I just did that. I actually just did. Cos I'm awesome but somewhat sinister so... watch out guys. **

**Anyway, the first episode of Season 3 will be officially starting next update which I'm hoping to post around Wednesday/Thursday. I'm thinking of posting every Wednesday and Sunday but it may vary depending on how busy my week is. **

**Hope you enjoyed it. See you next chapter ;)**

**Review xx**


	3. The Runaway Bride Part 1

**Sorry guys! I know I said I would update on Wednesday but I was so busy with school work and I was also hoping and waiting for a few more reviews. I know- I'm greedy. But yeah, there were only 1 or 2 reviews last chapter and I was wondering if you guys didn't enjoy it. If so.. tell me. Good or bad reviews are reviews and either way help me improve so both are appreciated. **

**Anyway, this chapter obviously has Donna in it. Woop woop. I love Donna Noble, she was an awesome companion and I hated how she left... it was so sad. So in honour of Donna Noble, here is.. CHAPTER 3. **

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**Disclaimer: All characters, plot devices and general dialog is not owned by me but by the BBC.**

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Chapter 3 – The Runaway Bride Part 1 – Inside the TARDIS

Rose continued to stare at the red woman in surprise. "Doctor", she began, "how did she do that?"

The Doctor stared, dumbfounded. "She _can't_ do that! We're in flight! That is, that is _physically_ impossible! How did-"

Donna was quick to cut him off. "Tell me where I am. I demand you tell me right now - where am I?"

When the Doctor said nothing and moved to the console to nervously check over the sentient ship, Rose chimed in. "Inside the TARDIS", she supplied.

"The what?"

"The TARDIS", the Doctor groaned.

"The what?" she demanded again.

"The TARDIS!" both time-travellers shouted.

"The what?" the woman persisted.

Rose sighed, attempting to stay calm in such a confusing situation. "This place, it's called the TARDIS", she gestured around her.

The woman jumped. "That's not even a proper word! You're just saying things!" she shrieked.

The Doctor angrily rolled his eyes, looking up at the woman in annoyance. "How did you get in here?"

Rose watched as the woman took a step forward, determination in her posture. She stalked towards the Doctor. "Well, obviously, when you kidnapped me!" Rose's eyes widened at the accusation. "Who was it? Who's paying you? Is it Nerys? Oh my God, she's finally got me back!" The woman stomped her foot in anger. "This has got Nerys written all over it", she insisted.

Rose shook her head. "Who the hell is Nerys?"

The woman turned to her, pointing an accusing finger. "Your best friend."

The Doctor, who had stayed silent through the bride's anger-filled explanation, stepping behind Rose, looking the woman up and down. "Hold on, wait a minute. What are you dressed like that for?"

Rose and the intruder both looked at him like he was stupid. It was the strange woman who voiced her opinion though.

"I'm going ten pin bowling", she said sarcastically. To Rose's surprise the Doctor seemed to consider her words. "Why do you think, Dumbo? I was halfway up the aisle! I've been waiting all my life for this. I was just seconds away, and then you, I don't know, you drugged me or something!" she rambled.

The Doctor recoiled back in surprise, rushing back to the TARDIS console and furiously typing away. "I haven't done anything!" he asserted.

"I'm having the police on you! Me and my husband, as soon as he is my husband, we're going to sue the living backside off you!" the woman growled, moving around to look at the doors of the TARDIS. Rose, realising what she must be thinking, gasped as she broke out into a run down the ramp.

"No, wait a minute!" Rose screamed at the same time the Doctor yelled, "Wait a minute. Don't!"

Donna ignored them, grabbing the handles and flinging them open. The TARDIS's doors burst open, revealing the gorgeous nebula they were, for some reason, stuck in. Rose, much like Donna, was still getting used to the beautiful imagery of space that the Doctor continued to show her every day. The pink, purple and blue of the nebula swirled into stunning shapes and textures before their eyes.

The Doctor moved to follow the woman, who had frozen at opening the door. Rose took a breath, going and joining the pair. "You're in space- Outer space. This is my space ship. It's called the TARDIS", he clarified.

The redhead remained calm and, for once, spoke quietly. "How am I breathing?" she asked tentatively.

Rose reached them as the Doctor rested a hand on the TARDIS door frame. "The TARDIS protects us", Rose explained briefly.

She looked down at Rose, her eyes wary. "Who are you?" she questioned, eyes moving back to stare outside.

"I'm the Doctor and this is my, erm…- Rose", he whispered her name, realising his mistake in trying to label them.

Rose quirked an eyebrow, smirking at the Doctor. "You?" she asked.

"Donna", the woman clarified. Rose smiled, happy to be able to finally know what to call her.

The Doctor looked down at her. "Human?"

Donna looked at him, confused. "Yeah", she shrugged, "Is that optional?"

The Doctor chuckled lightly. "Well, it is for me."

"You're an alien", Donna said, not at all surprised.

The Doctor took a deep breath. "Yeah."

Rose rolled her eyes at the Doctor's obvious pleasure, or possibly pride, in being an alien. Donna then turned to look down at Rose. Rose smiled. "Human", she promised. Donna nodded before looking back out at the universe before her.

Rose wasn't shocked when Donna subtly indicated she wanted the door closed after a few minutes. The view w_as _hard to look at, especially when you weren't prepared or used to it. Rose was snapped out of her thoughts when the Doctor slammed the doors and raced up the railings, with Donna following close behind.

"I don't understand that and I understand everything. This-this can't happen! There is no way a human being can lock itself onto the TARDIS and transport itself inside. It must be-", he ran around the console before grabbing an ophthalmoscope and racing towards Donna, who stood in shock. "Impossible. Some sort of subatomic connection? Something in the temporal field? Maybe something pulling you into alignment with the Chronon shell. Maybe something macro mining your DNA within the interior matrix. Maybe a genetic-"

Donna cut him off with a slap, sending him spiralling backwards in surprise. Rose gaped; she liked this girl. "What was that for?" the Doctor bellowed.

"Get me to the church!" Donna roared.

The Doctor looked over at Rose, staring as if to say 'can you believe her?' Rose shrugged, saying nothing. The Doctor grumbled quietly before running around to the console. "Right! Fine! I don't want you here anyway!" he cried, "Where is this wedding?"

"Saint Mary's, Hayden Road, Chiswick, London, England, Earth, the Solar System", Donna shouted as she moved around the console room, her volume increasing as she spoke and her tone growing more and more patronizing.

Donna continued to look around the room before her eyes once again landed on Rose. She hesitantly moved towards the blonde, her anger subsiding. "Um…it's Rose, right?" she asked quietly, cautiously watching the Doctor out of the corner of her eye. Rose nodded.

"That 'Doctor' or whatever the hell he says he's called, is he keeping you here against your will? Did he get you too? You can tell me," she assured Rose, who stared at her in surprise.

Rose giggled, shaking her head. She looked over at the Doctor, her smile widening when he looked over at the two women, completely oblivious to their conversation. "No, I'm here by choice. I promise."

Donna watched her for a second before glancing back at the Doctor. "He's weird. You know, he can't take the both of us. If we strike now, I can use my heel or something and you could grab him from behind and-"

"I'll pass", Rose whispered hoarsely before bursting into a fit of giggles. The Doctor turned to her urgently but relaxed when he noticed her holding her stomach and smiling widely.

Donna sighed, knowing her attempts were wasted. She turned back to the Doctor, watching as he guided the "space ship" around. "Here we go! Chiswick!" the Doctor cheered, pulling one final level before the familiar hum of the TARDIS changed in pitch, indicating they had landed. Rose smiled as she watched Donna hurry down the ramp. When she looked back at the Doctor, she paused when she saw his face. He was staring up at the time rotor intently.

Rose joined him. "What's wrong?" she asked, stroking a hand down his arm as he shifted nervously.

"Not sure", he murmured. "Something's wrong. Almost like she's…" he trailed off unknowingly.

Rose could faintly hear Donna exclaim that they were in the wrong place but ignored it.

"Recalibrating!" the Doctor exclaimed, rushing around the room.

Rose sighed, leaving the Doctor to his Time Lord-y business as she joined Donna outside, who was looking around the neighbourhood in annoyance.

"What sort of Martians are you? Where are we?"

Looking around, Rose shrugged. "The Doctor thinks that something is wrong with the TARDIS. She's recalibrating or something. Anyway Donna, have you had any sort of alien contact recently? Seen anything weird or strange? I'm only asking 'cos -" Rose gasped looked back at Donna only to find her gone. Rose searched around frantically, until she spotted Donna rushing from around the back of the TARDIS, her expression getting more and more horrified with every step she took. Rose's eyes widened.

Donna stumbled back towards the door, looking into the vast TARDIS console room where the Doctor was scrambling around the console. He looked up at her just as she backed out of the doorway- hand over her mouth to mask her gasp. Rose inwardly kicked herself before running to Donna's side in an attempt to calm her down, but Donna turned on her heel and hurriedly walked away, causing Rose and the Doctor to have to follow suit.

"Donna!" the Doctor called, running out of the TARDIS.

"Leave me alone", Donna choked on her words. "I just wanna get married", she whispered.

"Come back to the TARDIS", Rose said softly. "The Doctor'll figure this out, he always does."

Donna shook her head, looking down at the ground as she walked. "No way. That box is too weird."

The Doctor sighed, not used to a human's reaction. After all it had been a while since a human had been inside the TARDIS for their first time since Rose, Mickey, Jackie and Sarah had all been in before. "It's just bigger on the inside, that's all", he tried.

Donna scoffed. "That's all?" she laughed, void of humour, before quickly checking her watch. "Ten past three", she muttered. "I'm gonna miss it."

Rose looked at Donna with sympathy but the Doctor was the one to speak. "You can phone them. Tell them where you are."

Rose rolled her eyes, exasperated. She looked at the Doctor in shock. For a raging Time Lord genius he could sure lack common sense. Donna stared up at him, obviously just as shocked as Rose.

"How do I do that?" Donna deadpanned.

Before Rose could stop him, the Doctor continued. "Haven't you got a mobile?"

Donna stilled, turning to face the Doctor, who froze in surprise. "I'm in my wedding dress; it doesn't have pockets! Who has pockets? Have you ever seen a bride with pockets?" she brushed her hands down her dress for emphasis. "When I went to my fitting at Chez Alison, the one thing I forgot to say is give me pockets!"

When Donna turned back around to walk off again, the Doctor straightened his tie, coughing awkwardly. "This man you're marrying. What's his name?"

Donna smiled dreamily. "Lance."

The Doctor sniffed. "Good luck, Lance."

"Oi!" Donna spat, turning to face both Rose and the Doctor. "No stupid Martians are going to stop me from getting married. To hell with the both of you!" And with that, she turned and sprinted down the courtyard.

Rose crossed her arms, looking up at the Doctor. "Really?" she sighed.

The Doctor winked at her but otherwise ignored her question, turning back in the direction Donna had retreated. "I'm not, we're not, we're not from Mars."

Rose laughed, following slowly after the Doctor as he turned the corner after Donna.

She couldn't entirely place it but it felt almost normal to have an adventure again after nearly 4 months just floating in the vortex. Luckily, their new found relationship didn't seem to affect the natural flow they slipped into when it involved running, saving the world or helping solve something. It was nice - with the overwhelming new situations Rose and the Doctor were in – that they could just push it all aside when it came to their adventures.

"Donna!" she heard from around the corner. Jumping into action, she quickly ran around the corner. Just as she passed it, the Doctor came in the opposite direction and they collided. Gasping, Rose stumbled back. "Woah there!"

The Doctor hurriedly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back in the direction of the TARDIS. Rose stumbled but followed behind him. The second he closed the doors, he scrambled up the ramp towards the console.

"What's going on?" Rose asked.

"Pilot fish", he said. "She got into a taxi with one."

Rose rolled her eyes. "They're back for another Christmas?" she joked. The Doctor grinned at her as she joined him. He looked back down at the console as he flew the TARDIS. She gasped as they were thrown around the room before falling onto the hard, cold, grating floor. The Doctor grunted but refused to let go of the edge of the console as the TARDIS flung them around. Rose struggled, trying to reach the captain's seat. "What's going on?" she called as she collapsed onto the worn chair.

The Doctor looked over at her, sending her a small smile as he pulled several levers and managed to stable the TARDIS. "We're flying" he explained bluntly, turning to her and taking her hand. Rose let him pull her up, wrapping her arm around his torso as he piloted the TARDIS.

"Wait a minute", she gasped. "When you say 'flying' do you actually mean 'flying'?"

The Doctor chuckled, reaching under the console to grab his much-loved hammer. "Yeah, she doesn't really like it much." Hitting the TARDIS and commanding her to behave, the Doctor grabbed Rose's hand and tugged her towards his chosen spot on the TARDIS console. Rose let him take her hand and place it over a black lever. "Pull that when I say so", he warned.

Rose nodded as he ran down the ramp towards the door. Pulling it open, they were both met with what looked like a motorway with a taxi speeding right in front of them. It was weird but, it was almost more shocking to see a normal road than it was a planet, since the TARDIS had never actually… flown before.

"Watch out!" Rose called as the Doctor held onto the door tightly as he leant back against it. The Doctor rolled his eyes but otherwise smiled, leaning out to the racing taxi.

"Open the door!" the Doctor called to Donna, who was gaping at his arrival.

"Do what?" she cried.

"Open the door!"

Donna tried, but when the door failed to open, she looked up at the Doctor urgently. "I can't, it's locked!"

The Doctor grumbled quietly, but Rose could hear it, and attempted to balance his weight as he fished the sonic screwdriver out of his pocket. He pointed at the car and sonic the window. Donna shoved it down. "Santa's a robot", she wined. Shaking her head, she silently cursed herself for not expecting it.

The Doctor scoffed. "Donna, open the door!"

Donna gripped the window tighter. "What for?"

"You've got to jump!" the Doctor rolled his eyes.

Donna blinked in surprise. "I'm not blinking flip jumping. I'm supposed to be getting married!" she screamed.

The Doctor groaned as he watched the car accelerate and swerve around the traffic until it was too far in front for the Doctor to see.

"Rose, now!" he yelled back into the TARDIS.

Rose frantically pulled on the level, letting out a scream as the TARDIS sparked uncontrollably. She ducked as the golden, hot sparks showered down on her. The Doctor watched her, scared, as he held on as the TARDIS rocked around, bouncing on the roof of a car as she tried to catch up with the pilot-fish-driven taxi.

When the taxi was in line with the open doors of the TARDIS, the Doctor focused his sonic on the pilot fish, who tightened his hands around the wheel in response. He turned back to Donna. "Listen to me. You've got to jump."

Donna shook her head, her voice increasing in volume as she spoke. "I'm not jumping on a motorway!"

The Doctor tightened his grip on the wooden TARDIS door. "Whatever that thing is, it needs you. And whatever it needs you for, it's not good! Now, come on!"

Donna's eyes glistened with frightened tears. "I'm in my wedding dress!" she refused

"Yes, you look lovely! Come on!" the Doctor argued. Rose giggled, watching from her spot inside.

Donna opened the door. She took an uneven breath as the wind snapped the door back as far as it could go. She cautiously edged towards the edge of the car door as the Doctor reached out to her. Donna's eyes widened. "I can't do it", she said, terrified.

The Doctor smiled softly. "Trust me."

The redhead looked him off very briefly before her eyes flitted to Rose, who was, as carefully as possible, guiding herself down the ramp by the rails. The Doctor glanced back at the blonde as she neared on him.

Donna looked directly at Rose. "Do you? Do you trust him?" she asked.

Rose grinned, nodded as she clutched the Doctor's hand. "Yes; with my life."

The Doctor looked back at Donna as he squeezed Rose's hand. She got the hint and quickly backed away as Donna took a deep breath.

Donna let out a scream as she leapt across the racing the road of the motorway towards the Doctor, who had his arms open and ready. As she collided with said Time Lord, she knocked them back onto the grating of the space and time machine. Out of the corner of his eye, the Doctor saw the TARDIS doors close as she rocked, flying away. As Donna climbed off of him, he headed towards the console to take over from Rose.

Rose and Donna were first to exit the TARDIS once the Doctor had landed his now smoking ship on the roof of a nearby building. They choked from that smoke that followed them from the inside. The Doctor followed behind them, coughing and spluttering the smoke from his lungs.

"The funny thing is, for a spaceship, she doesn't really do that much flying. We'd better give her a couple of hours. You all right?" he asked, admittedly focusing most of his attention on Rose. She nodded, taking his hand as they followed behind Donna, who was edging towards the border of the roof.

"Doesn't matter", she sighed plainly.

Rose watched her as her shoulders sank. "Did we miss it?"

"Yeah", Donna replied, emotionless.

"Well, you can book another date", the Doctor encouraged, but Donna's resistance to the idea was obvious.

"Course we can", she breathed, still not all that into it.

"You've still got the honeymoon."

"It's just a holiday now", she breathed.

Rose and the Doctor shared a remorseful look for the redhead. "Yeah, um… sorry about that", Rose apologised, stroking a hand down Donna's arm awkwardly.

Donna sighed. "It's not your fault."

Behind them, the Doctor let out a small, half-hearted chuckle. "Oh? That's a change."

Rose looked back at him with a keen smile and delightfully nudged him when he walked past.

"Wish you had a time machine", Donna commented dryly, "then we could go back and get it right."

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other with small, sad smiles. "Yeah, yeah. But even if we did, we couldn't go back on someone's personal timeline. Apparently", he added at the last minute.

Donna said nothing, sinking to the floor of the roof as she hung her feet over the edge, looking out at the city on London below. The Doctor shared a look with Rose, who sat down beside Donna and patted her leg. The Doctor took off his jacket and slung it around Donna's shoulder before joining Rose and pulling her to his side as she huddled into him against the cold.

"God, you're skinny. This wouldn't fit a rat", Donna commented as she attempted to hide a smile.

Rose smirked.

Looking over at Donna, the Doctor pulled something from his pocket that Rose failed to see. He held it out to Donna. "Oh and you'd better put this on."

Rose's eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of what it was. "Doctor!" she gasped. He really could be unintentionally rude and not ginger sometimes.

"Oh, do you have to rub it in?" Donna asked, eyeing the golden ring.

The Doctor rolled his eyes at both women. "Those creatures can trace you. This is a bio-damper", he leant slightly over Rose to shove it in front of her face. "Should keep you hidden." Donna nodded as he took her hand in his, sliding the ring onto her finger. "With this ring, I thee bio-damp", he mocked.

Donna smiled gently. "Aren't you already taken?" she joked. Rose grinned when the Doctor blushed. Her face paled when he seemed to pull a strange face as though he was dubious towards the idea of being with.

Donna noticed and carried on, effectively tearing her from her thoughts. "So, come on then. Robot Santas. What are they for?"

The Doctor looked over at her, his hand gently caressing Rose's back. "Ah, your basic robo scavenger", he explained. "The Father Christmas stuff is just a disguise. They're trying to blend in."

Rose looked wistfully out across the grand city of London. "We met them last Christmas", she whispered.

The Doctor looked down at her with a worried frown, knowing what she was thinking about. Donna was oblivious and continued to talk. "Why, what happened then?"

The Doctor stared at her in disbelief. "Great big spaceship hovering over London?"

Rose raised her eyebrows. "You didn't notice?" she laughed.

Donna shook her head and shrugged. "I had a bit of a hangover", she breathed, obviously finding it a perfectly good excuse.

Rose laughed into the Doctor's chest at Donna's word. "We spent Christmas over with my family, at the Powell Estate", she said. Her shoulders sank as she stared down at what used to be her home, before her and her mother's unexpected "deaths" prompted the government to take it back. The Doctor tightened his grip on her before plastering a kiss onto her hair.

"Still… gone now" he said sadly, just as distressed about the situation as she was.

Donna watched them with a suspicious frown. "Your family", she said. "Where are they?"

Rose shook her head. Both herself and the Doctor knew she wasn't ready to address the problem. After sorting her issues with the Doctor, Rose, much like she had said, had been able to let herself grieve. She'd spent a lot of time at the Powell Estate just before the apartment was emptied by government, going through the house and retrieving old photo books, pictures, videos, some sentimental objects and her mother's old jewellery. She'd barely spoken to the Doctor the whole time. She certainly wasn't prepared to discuss her loss with someone she had just met.

"Question is", the Doctor started, brushing the previous subject aside. "What do camouflaged robot mercenaries want with you? And how did you get inside the TARDIS? I don't know." When Donna shrugged, the Doctor frowned and asked, "What's your job?"

"I'm a secretary", Donna said plainly.

Rose moved aside as the Doctor dived into his pocket and pulled from it, his sonic. Rose knowingly moved back so he could move into her former spot and waved his sonic over Donna. Rose moved to the other side of Donna.

As he continued to scan her, the Doctor frowned. "It's weird. I mean, you're not special, you're not powerful, you're not connected, you're not clever, you're not importa- Ow!" he shouted as Rose's hand connected with his arm as she leant around Donna. "What was that for?"

Rose glared at him before looking away with a smile. Donna scoffed and turned to Rose. "Do you ever just s_lap _him?" she asked jokingly. Rose chuckled. The Doctor frowned but continued to scan Donna, who then turned to him in annoyance. "Stop bleeping me!"

The Doctor _huffed_, sitting back and putting the sonic away. "What kind of secretary?"

"I'm at HC Clements. It's where I met Lance. I was temping." Donna looked off into the distance, obviously remembering something. Rose and the Doctor shared a looked but stayed silent. "I mean, it was all a bit posh really. I'd spent the last two years at a double glazing firm. Well, I thought 'I'm never going to fit in here'. And then he made me a coffee. I mean, that just doesn't happen. Nobody gets the secretaries a coffee. And Lance- he's the head of HR! He don't need to bother with me. But he was nice, he was funny. And it turns out he thought everyone else was really snotty too. So that's how it started, me and him- one cup of coffee. That was it."

Rose smiled. Donna's impromptu meeting with Lance was almost as unlikely as hers with the Doctor- granted, minus the blowing up buildings and killer mannequins. She looked over at Donna. "When was this?"

Donna continued to look out at the city as she replied. "Six months ago."

"Bit quick to get married", the Doctor commented dryly.

"Well, he insisted", Donna said. The Doctor raised an eyebrow, disbelieving. "And he nagged, and he nagged me… and he just wore me down… and then finally, I just gave in."

Rose smirked, looking down at her hands. She doubted that Donna was the one to be pressured into the marriage, probably the other way around, but said nothing. "What exactly does HC Clemens do?" she asked Donna.

"Oh, security systems. You know- entry codes, ID cards - that sort of thing. If you ask me, it's a posh name for locksmiths" Donna said, brushing it aside.

"Keys", the Doctor said thoughtfully.

Rose looked over at him. She knew that face. It was his 'I'm-thinking-of-something-amazing-and-clever-that-no-one-else-would-ever-think-of' look.

"Anyway, enough of my CV", Donna said, shifting. "Come on, it's time to face the consequences. Oh, this is going to be so shaming. You can do the explaining, Martian boy", she pointed a finger at the Doctor.

"Yeah. I'm not from Mars", the Doctor deadpanned.

Rose stood up as the Doctor did the same, both taking one of Donna's hands and helping her up. The Doctor retrieved his jacket from her, slipping it back on, before taking Rose's hand.

"Oh, I had this great big reception all planned. Everyone's going to be heartbroken", she sighed, walking ahead.

The Doctor looked down at Rose. "You sure you're alright?" he asked.

Rose nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Promise?"

"Promise", Rose smiled, leaning up to peck his cheek.

* * *

**Since I made you guys wait so long for a chapter, I'm going to post again on Tuesday as payment. And then again on the weekend at some point. **

**Review and let me know what you thought :)**


	4. The Runaway Bride Part 2: Signal

**Hey guys! I'm back, like I promised! Hehe :D Anyway, so here's the next chapter. Part 2 of the Runaway Bride. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who... I mean, if anyone own's it and wants like a.. babysitter or something... I'll do it :)**

* * *

When they arrived at the reception not much later, they were met with something they really did not expect – a full blown party. Apparently the absence of the bride was not enough of a problem to halt the party. They were laughing, eating and dancing. People seemed completely oblivious to her arrival as she stood in the doorway, mouth agape and eyes wide. Rose and the Doctor stood behind her, watching the crowds dance and laugh.

Slowly, one by one, the people scattered around the hall began to notice Donna and turned to her. Whispers could be heard among the crowd, those of which Donna ignored. She stood, completely frozen, as she waited for someone in particular to notice. When two people walked towards her, one being an older woman and the other being a man, which Rose assumed was her husband-to-be, she finally took a deep breath.

Before Rose could comment, Donna addressed her family and friends. "You have the reception _without_ me?" she bellowed.

"Donna, what happened to you?" the dark-skinned man asked.

Donna ignored him, still too shocked to process what he asked. "You had the reception without me?"

The Doctor swapped feet awkwardly. He couldn't reframe from piping in. "Hello. I'm the Doctor", he grinned, looking out to the crowd, who were undeniably disregarding him.

Donna turned to Rose and gaped at her- Rose was a woman too, so surely she would understand how offended and genuinely upset Donna was. "They had the reception without me!"

Rose looked around her, nervously taking a breath before nodding, "Yeah. I – er – I saw."

A blonde in the crowd, who had previously been dancing rather flirtatiously with Donna's fiancé, stepped up. "Well, it was all paid for. Why not?" she sneered.

Donna glared. "Thank you, _Nerys_."

Rose eyes the blonde. So _this _was her supposed best friend.

The older woman decided it was her turn. Stepping forward and swiping a strand of crispy, white hair from her eyes, she regarded Donna. "Well, what were we supposed to do? I got your silly little message in the end. I'm on Earth? Very funny. What the hell happened? How did you do it? I mean, what's the trick, because I'd love to know."

Soon, a chorus of voices piped up and filled the room. Donna stood, completely overwhelmed.

"Where were you the whole time?"

"What happened?"

"Why'd you do it?"

After a few, admittedly loud moments, Donna couldn't take it any longer and let out a whimper. The room grew quiet. As Donna continued to mewl as her fiancé took her into his arms. To Rose's surprise, everyone broke into a hushed applaud, watching the couple.

Unknown to the rest of the party, Donna looked over at the time travellers and winked, snuggling further into her husband's embrace.

Later, with the party in full swing, the Doctor and Rose stood idly by the bar. Rose was itching to drag the Doctor onto the dance floor but knew the Doctor was busy. She let herself sway to the beat of the song, watching as Donna danced merrily with her suitor. Yet, a part of Rose still couldn't help doubting the man.

When she looked back over to the Doctor, he was leant over a small Samsung phone. She joined him, watching over his shoulder as various Wikipedia, Facebook, and general information pages flashed about until it stopped on a white screen. Written in large black letters were written words they never wanted to see again.

"HC Clements, sole proprietor - Torchwood."

The Doctor's eyes said it all as he snapped the phone shut. Rose tensed as she tried to unscramble her minds furious thoughts.

After their last encounter with Torchwood, they were both pretty sure that the organisation must have shut down – apparently not. The Doctor returned to Rose's side, phone free. Seeing her haunted expression he wrapped an arm around her torso, pulling her to him. He took her in a tight embrace, swaying ever so gently to the speeding tempo of the song.

"Well, you took me in, you stole my heart, I cannot roam no more. 'Cos love it stays within you, it doesn't wash up on a shore. Then a fighting man forgets each cut, each knock, each bruise, each fall."

Rose sighed, nestling into his arms as he continued to hold her. She knew, it that moment, that he would be there for her- to fend off her demons and keep her sane. Just like she would for him.

After a few peaceful moments, Rose noticed a man at the other end of the hall. Her mind was cleared of any further Torchwood thoughts as she thought. Pulling away slightly, she looked up at the Doctor. "Wouldn't he have been recording the wedding?"

The Doctor raised an eyebrow but followed her gaze. When he noticed, he grinned. "Good thinking", he praised, running towards the camera man

"Oh, I taped the whole thing. They've all had a look. They said sell it to You've Been Framed. I said, more like the News", the camera man joked before clicking the video of the wedding. "Here we go."

The Doctor and Rose watched nervously as the video zoomed in on the happy bride. She was smiling tentatively as she glided down the aisle. Just as she turned to smile at someone near the camera though, she was surrounded by golden particles. Screaming, Donna dissolved into a thousand golden glitters which then proceeded to scatter scarcely into the air.

"Can't be", the Doctor said. "Play it again?"

The camera man nodded, readying to restart it. "Clever, mind. Good trick, I'll give her that. I was clapping." He replayed it.

When it was finished, Rose looked up at the Doctor. "What was that?"

The Doctor ran a hand through his hand in thought. But that looks like...Huon Particles."

"What's that then?"

The Doctor grimaced. It obviously wasn't very good. "That's impossible. That's ancient. Huon energy doesn't exist anymore, not for billions of years", he pondered. Rose narrowed her eyebrows as she looked over at Donna. She was dancing, _badly, w_ith her fiancé, her hand on his back. Rose looked directly at the biodamper just as the Doctor burst into action. "So old that it can't be hidden by a biodamper!"

Rose followed behind him as he ran towards the entrance of the hotel. He leapt over the banister, staring out the window. Rose gulped. "Santas", she whispered. The Doctor grunted, running back towards the hall.

"Donna! Donna, they've found you!" he called as he reached Donna's side. Donna tore herself away from her fiancé.

"But you said I was safe", she gasped.

The Doctor frowned. "The bio-damper doesn't work."

Rose looked around her at the overflowing room. "We've got to get everyone out."

"My God, it's all my family", Donna panicked.

The Doctor ran around the room towards the back door. "Out the back door!" he ordered. As he reached the doorway, he spotted two more robots nearing the building, one carrying a remote with a delightfully threatening big red button. "Maybe not", he muttered, defeated.

Rose and Donna joined him, peering outside. "We're trapped", Donna wheezed.

"Christmas trees!" Rose cried, noticing the remote control.

"What about them?" Donna asked.

The Doctor turned around quickly, grabbing Rose's hand. "They kill!" he said. "Get away from the tree. Everyone get away from them! Everyone stay away from the trees! Stay away from the trees!" he pleaded, waving the children back. The youngsters stumbled into awaiting parents arms.

"Don't touch the trees!" Donna shrieked as Rose screamed, "Get away from the Christmas trees!"

Donna mother, who Rose had identified as Sylvia, stepped forward. She rolled her eyes as she looked the Doctor and Rose up and down. "Oh, for God's sakes, the man's an idiot. Why? What harm's a Christmas tree going to do?" she laughed. Just as she finished, the tree took an unsteady shake before the baubles lifted from it. Tottering in the air, the baubles floated, looking innocent and festive. Rose and the Doctor knew better. The crowd watched in awe as the baubles danced across the air. Instantly, their faces twisted into masks of horror when the baubles shot in various direction, colliding with objects and letting off deafening _Boom!_s as they blew up. The room erupted into screams as people panicked, frantic to escape.

Rose ducked as one flew behind her. When she felt the Doctor pull her down, the dread settled slightly. She followed him as he guided her around the edges of the room, attempting to dodge all the flying baubles. Rose's eyes widened when a bauble blew up directly behind a man, throwing him 20ft into the already toppling wedding cake. Panic rose in the pit of her stomach when she couldn't spot Donna.

The Doctor dragged her over to the DJ booth, jumping with her to the ground as a rippling shock shot through the building and a loud explosion went off. When he looked back over the desk, he was met with six Santa robots, all lined up in front of the bar.

He grinned. "Oi! Santa! Word of advice. If you're attacking a man with a sonic screwdriver, don't let him near the sound system."

Looking down at Rose, the Doctor jammed the screwdriver into one of the conveniently situated slots. Rose clamped her hand over her ears as an ear piercing, shrill vibration shot through the room. Gasping when the noise silenced, Rose looked up. The Doctor was standing proudly, slipping the sonic into his pocket. He looked down at her.

"Sorry about that", he smiled. "You ok?"

Rose rubbed her head before taking his outstretched hand. "Yeah, I'll live. Could've used a warning though", she groaned.

The Doctor smirked. "Sorry. It was a spur of the moment plan." Rose rolled her eyes.

"Aren't they always?" she giggled.

The Doctor winked at her before turning back to the destroyed Santa robots. He ran around the DJ station, pulling Rose to her feet as he went. Stumbling, Rose managed to join him. He crouched down by the broken remains, retrieving a small, golden device. "Look at that- remote control for the decorations, but there's a second remote control for the robots. They're not scavengers anymore. I think someone's taken possession."

Rose frowned, looking over the Doctor's station. "Who?" she whispered, but really she knew that the Doctor had no idea. The Doctor shrugged, twisting the remote control over in his hands.

"Never mind all that. You're a doctor. People have been hurt", Donna complained. She looked down at the pair, eyes wet with the tears she had shed. Rose looked up at her, knowing how terrified she must be for her family. If Rose still had a family, save for the Doctor, to care about, then she was sure she would be reacting the same.

The Doctor brushed her aside. "Nah, they wanted you alive. Look", he threw a deactivated red bauble to Donna, who caught it with ease.

Rose groaned, nudging the Doctor's stomach. He looked down at her in confusion, but his expression melted away when he saw the stern look she sent him. Frowning, he turned back to Donna. "They're not active now."

Donna ignored him, tossing the bauble aside. "All I'm saying, you could help."

Despite Rose's silent plead with him, the Doctor shook his head. At the end of the day, the one thing he needed to protect in all of this was Rose. He needed to solve this- he could tend to the injured later.

"Got to think of the bigger picture. There's still a signal!"

As the Doctor ran out and Rose and Donna followed closely behind, they could faintly hear Donna's mother call out.

"Donna, who is he? Who is that man?"

And truthfully, Donna didn't really know.

The Doctor got outside, still holding the large golden head. He pointed the sonic into the sky as it thrummed to life. "There's someone behind this, directing the roboforms."

Rose frowned. "The Sicorax?"

The Doctor looked up at her with a small grin but shook his head, letting his hand fall down. "Nah, last time they were scavengers and the Sicorax were just using them, but now – oh, they're being controlled now. Plus, the Sicorax were killed, remember?" His voice grew rougher as he looked back at their fate- oh, Harriet Jones.

Donna stared at them in confusion. "But why is it me? What have I done?"

The Doctor brushed her aside, pointing his sonic back into the sky. "If we find the controller, we'll find that out." Rose stood behind him, looking over his shoulder. He jumped. "Oooh! It's up there. Something in the sky."

Everyone looked up but all failed to see anything out of place.

After a few seconds of waving it around the air in the hopes for a result, the sound of the sonic dissipated and the Doctor frowned. "I've lost the signal", he groaned, putting the sonic screwdriver safely in his pocket. "Donna, we've got to get to your office. HC Clements. I think that's where it all started." When he spotted Lance, he leapt forward. "Lance! Is it Lance? Lance, can you give us a lift?"

Rose giggled at his attitude but took his hand and followed him.

All four of them proceeded to run into the large building, the Doctor's hand firmly in Rose's. They all reached Donna's floor in seconds, due to the Doctor's need for information. As he and Rose ran towards a computer, Donna and Lance stood back and watched him, lance – very confused.

"To you lot this might just be a locksmiths, but H C Clements was brought up twenty three years ago by the Torchwood Institute" The Doctor explained, typing away madly.

"Who are they?" Donna asked.

Rose was quick to turn and answer. "They caused the ghosts, remember? And they were behind the Battle of Canary Warf." She tensed slightly – it hadn't been t_hat _long for them. The Doctor reached out and took her hand from behind.

"Huh?" Donna voiced, confused.

The Doctor looked up at her, eyes wide. He cocked his head. "Cyberman invasion? Skies over London full of Daleks?

Donna shrugged, "I was in Spain."

Rose raised her eyebrows, looking at Donna completely dumbfounded. "They had Cybermen in Spain."

"Scuba diving."

Rose snorted slightly as the Doctor stared at the redhead. "That big picture, Donna. You keep on missing it." He jumped up once again, moving around the desk – pushing Lance out of the way – and reaching a computer beside Donna.

Rose watched him. "But Torchwood was destroyed, if HC Clements was run by them, why is it still in business?"

"I think someone else came in and took over the operation", the Doctor said, hitting the computer top with his fist.

Rose sighed. _More _aliens. **Great!**

"But what do they want with me?" Donna asked as he continued to type, what looked like to Donna, completely random letters.

The Doctor sucked in a breath and stood up. He looked down at the floor before coughing nervously and looking back up at the blushing bride. "Somehow you've been dosed with Huon energy. And that's a problem, because Huon energy hasn't existed since the Dark Times- The only place you'd find a Huon particle now is a remnant in the heart of the TARDIS. See? That's what happened here." Donna stared at him, looking completely stunned. "Say, that's the TARDIS", he picked up a white coffee mug with the H.C Clements logo. "And that's you", he snatched a pencil from a desk beside him. "The particles inside you activated. The two sets of particles magnetised and _whap_!" He tossed the pencil into the mug. "You were pulled inside the TARDIS."

Rose grinned at his visualisation but Donna was still frozen in shock. "I'm a pencil inside a mug?":

The Doctor spun the cup around. "Yes, you are. 4H. Sums you up. Lance?" he looked over at the man in question, putting down the mug. "What was HC Clements working on? Anything top secret? Special operations? Do not enter?" he asked, walked away with them following.

Lance sighed in exasperation. "I don't know, I'm in charge of personnel. I wasn't project manager. Why am I even explaining myself? What the hell are we talking about?"

Rose crouched down with the Doctor, examining the screen which now displayed a format of the entire building.

"They make keys, that's the point", he said.

Rose nudged him. "Look at this. We're on the third floor. Underneath reception, it says there's a basement."

The Doctor leant back in surprise. "Well done Rose", he grinned, taking her hand and leading her to the lift. They slowly moved down and, as soon as the door opened, the Doctor looked down at the controls on the wall of the lift.. Rose joined him –there was no basement, but there was a _lower _basement.

"There's a whole floor which doesn't exist on the official plans."

The Doctor nodded. "So what's down there, then?"

"Are you telling me this building's got a secret floor?" Lance asked.

"No", the Doctor looked at him. "I'm _showing_ you this building's got a secret floor."

"It needs a key", Donna warned.

Rose grinned as the Doctor took his much-beloved sonic screwdriver from his pocket, sonicking the LB button.

"Right then. Thanks, you two. I can handle this. See you later."

Donna shook her head and joined them inside the lift. "No chance, Martian. You're the man who keeps saving my life. I ain't letting you out of my sight."

Rose watched as the Doctor shifted uncomfortably. "Going down."

"Lance?" Donna demanded. It was obvious she expected him to come with them.

Lance looked terrified, something that didn't seem to shock Rose or the Doctor. 2Maybe I should go to the police."

Donna stared him down. "Inside."

Lance sighed, getting into the lift – which was now getting kind of cramped.

The Doctor smirked, "To honour and obey?"

"Tell me about it, mate."

"Oi!"

All stood in silence as the lift slowly made it's descent to the basement.

* * *

**Poor Donna. She has no idea what she's getting in to. Hahahahah :)**

**Anyway, thank you all for your reviews last chapter. I ****_will_**** find the time to reply to them all sometime soon. It's just on Friday I have a big cookery examination I have to prepare for. AHh!**

**Anyway, I am sleeping over a friends on the weekend so if the next chapter isn't up by Sunday, It'll be up on Wednesday. I know, I'm sorry for the wait :(**

**Emma x**


	5. The Runaway Bride Part 3: Basement

**Sorry for the long wait guys so instead of making you wait longer, I'll get straight to it. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who... sadly. **

* * *

When the lift reached their designated floor, everyone stepped out. The Doctor noticed three segways and was quick to snatch them, claiming them as transport. Rose shared one with the Doctor, wrapping her arms around his waist as she tried to refrain from laughing. When Donna and the Doctor stared though, she couldn't hold back and their laughter echoed through the tunnels.

They arrived at a bulkhead door labelled Torchwood- Authorised personnel only, to which the Doctor smiled. He turned the wheel, pulling it open to reveal a ladder. He turned back to the others.

"Wait here. Just need to get my bearings. Don't do anything." He warned, particularly pointing at a certain blonde who was watching him with a smirk.

As the Doctor started up the ladder, Rose spoke. "Be careful. You better get back in one piece."

The Doctor smirked down at her. "I couldn't get rid of you if I tried."

Rose laughed. "Trust me, I know."

As he climbed up the ladder, Lance and Donna discussed… something. Rose wasn't paying attention. She let out a laugh, causing the Doctor to turn and looked down at her.

"Now", he chided. "I know I have a fairly attractive behind but, really Rose?" Although he attempted to be serious, the grin on his face was easy to spot, even in the dark tunnels.

Rose shrugged. The Doctor climbed up to another sealed cover operated by a wheel – almost like in a submarine. He opened it and climbed out onto the top of number 8 in the Thames Barrier. His eyes widened before he started back down the ladder. "Thames flood barrier right on top of us. Torchwood snuck in and built this place underneath."

"What, there's like a secret base hidden underneath a major London landmark?" Donna gasped.

Rose let out a breathy laugh. "Oh, I know, right? Drives me mad."

The Doctor chuckled. He walked through a small opening, into a brightly lit laboratory. In every corner of the room, bubbling test tubes were attached to several machines. The Doctor walked through, looking around in admiration. "Oo, look at this. Stunning!"

Rose observed the room. "What does it do?"

The Doctor walked over to one large tube, looking inside. "Particle extrusion. Hold on", he ran to another. "Brilliant. They've been manufacturing Huon particles. Course, my people got rid of Huons. They unravel the atomic structure."

Lance stepped forward. "Your people? Who are they? What company do you represent?"

Rose shrugged. "Oh, we're freelancers."

The Doctor simpered. "But this lot are rebuilding them. They've been using the river. Extruding them through a flat hydrogen base so they've got the end result, Huon particles in liquid form."

"And that's what's inside me?" Donna asked, looking at the container the Doctor had picked up. Rose stood by her side, watching as the Doctor turned the knob on the container, causing the liquid to glow. Donna looked down at herself, gasping as she too turned gold. "Oh, my God!"

Rose watched her, surprised. Her attention was short-lived though, as a thrumming echoed through her head. She winced, reaching up and rubbing her eyes. Her mind whirled, almost as though a million little voices were whispering at once, but she couldn't seem to understand a word they said. Gasping, she stumbled slightly, clutching her forehead tightly.

The Doctor instantly dropped the container, lid now back in place, and took her in his arms. "Rose? Rose?" he gasped frantically as she slowly slouched into his arms. Groaning, Rose lifted her head.

"What happened?" she asked, dazed, eyes still closed.

The Doctor narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. "I just activated some particles and then you almost collapsed."

Rose moaned, rubbing her face roughly before standing up properly, finally opening her eyes. She felt the Doctor stiffen before she heard his quiet, almost inaudible gasp. "What?"

"Oh, er, nothing", the Doctor whispered hoarsely, eyes still wide and frantically searching what was left of hers. He took a deep breath before kissing her forehead and moving away. Whatever was happening to her, he would fix it. "You sure you're okay?"

Rose nodded, still worried. He looked as though he wanted to be as far away from her as possible, a though she didn't quite like. He watched as she cast her look aside momentarily before looking back, sad. To his surprise, her eyes were her normal welcoming brown and the golden tendrils that resided there moments ago had swirled into the blackness of her pupil and had disappeared.

He shook his head frantically, trying to think back to Donna's current situation. "Because the particles are inert, they need something living to catalyse inside and that's you. Saturate the body and then…oh."

"What?" Donna gasped.

The Doctor stepped back slowly, a bright smile appearing on his face. "The wedding!" he shouted. "Yes, you're getting married, that's it! Best day of your life, walking down the aisle. Oh, your body's a battleground! There's a chemical war inside! Adrenaline, acetylcholine. _Wham_! go the endorphins. Oh, you're cooking! Yeah, you're like a walking oven. A pressure cooker, a microwave- all churning away. The particles reach boiling point. Shazam!"

Donna cut him off with a loud and rather painful sounding slap. He reeled backwards in shock. For some reason, Rose didn't have the heart to laugh this time.

She faintly heard the Doctor ask what he had done but her mind was elsewhere. She slowly took a seat on a small silver box, watching them but not quite hearing them.

"Rose?" Donna asked this time, looking back at her, eyes tinted with fear. The Doctor must have told her something – like that the Huon particles were billions of years old and deadly and that they had- _wait a minute, _Rose swallowed nervously. _How did I know that? _Terrified, she quickly brushed the thought aside. _I probably just heard parts of their conversation- that's all._

"Rose?" The Doctor called and her head shot up.

"Huh?"

The Doctor frowned. "Tired by any chance?" he joked.

Rose looked him over, "Actually, yeah, a bit."

Donna looked back at the Doctor, stealing his attention again. "If they're deadly, how the hell am I safe?"

Before the Doctor could answer, a new crackling voice could be heard, as though through a speaker. "Oh, she is long since lost", it laughed. Rose stood up, looking around until she joined the Doctor and Donna. They all watched as the wall in front of them slid up to reveal a tiered hole descending into the earth. "I have waited so long, hibernating at the edge of the universe until the secret heart was uncovered and called out to waken!"

"Someone's been digging. Oh, very Torchwood. Drilled by laser. How far down does it go?" the Doctor asked, addressing the voice.

"Down and down, all the way to the centre of the Earth!" it answered.

The Doctor looked shocked. "Really? Seriously?"

"What for?" Rose asked.

Donna stepped forward. "Dinosaurs."

"What?" Rose scoffed

"Dinosaurs?"

"What are you on about, dinosaurs?" The Doctor asked.

Donna sighed. "That film, Under the Earth, with dinosaurs." When they were silent, staring at her as though she drooled on her shirt, she quickly added, "Trying to help."

"That's not helping."

The crackling voice returned. "Such a sweet couple", it, probably a she, hissed.

Rose's jealously flared and she gently took the Doctor's hand- partly for the closeness but mainly as an anchor to rein in her fear.

The Doctor glanced down at her, eyes full of love and admiration, but when he looked back up, it disappeared and courage and wisdom took its place. "Only a madman talks to thin air and trust me, you don't want to make me mad. Where are you?"

"High in the sky. Floating so high on Christmas night", it laughed.

The Doctor walked around, looking up and shouting, "I didn't come all this way to talk on the intercom. Come on! Let's have a look at you!"

The voice turned somewhat angry. "Who are you with such command?"

"I'm the Doctor", he said.

There was a light cackle from somewhere. "Prepare your best medicines, doctor man, for you will be sick at heart." At her words, Rose shivered, but not as much as she did when an obvious teleport beam appeared and a giant red beast materialized across the room from them. Donna gasped and Rose didn't really blame her. She was, after all, a _huge, _red, _hissing_ spider!

Even the Doctor was shocked. "Racnoss? But that's impossible. You're one of the Racnoss."

The "Racnoss" rocked on her eight legs menacingly, something that nearly made Rose sick. "Empress of the Racnoss."

"And I though house spiders were bad", Rose muttered, which was shortly followed by a loud and threatening hiss from the Empress. The Doctor took a step forward, putting himself a safe distance between Rose and the Racnoss.

"If you're the Empress, where's the rest of the Racnoss? Or, are you the only one?" he thought hard.

The Empress waved her arms – arms?- around. "Such a sharp mind", she hissed. It sounded like she had a lisp.

"That's it, the last of your kind", he mused, before addressing Rose and Donna. "The Racnoss come from the Dark Times, billions of years ago. Billions. They were carnivores, omnivores. They devoured whole planets", he spat in disgust.

"Racnoss are born starving", she defended. "Is that our fault?"

The Doctor ignored her, so Donna spoke up. "They eat people?"

"HC Clements, did he wear those, those er, black and white shoes?" the Doctor asked.

Donna looked at him. "He did. We used to laugh. We used to call him the fat cat in spats." She smiled at the memory.

The Doctor was silent as he pointed to a pair of feet sticking out of the web across the ceiling, wearing black and white shoes. It was unmistakably him.

"Oh, my God!" Rose whispered in shock.

"Mmm. My Christmas dinner" the Empress laughed.

"You shouldn't even exist", the Doctor said. "Way back in history, the fledgling Empires went to war against the Racnoss they were wiped out."

"Except for me", the Empress sneered.

Rose narrowed her eyes at the beast before noticing movement off to the side of the room. She looked up and saw Lance, axe in hand, moving down the balcony. Raising an eyebrow, Rose thought. Where did his sudden bravery come from?

Donna seemed to notice as well, and quickly formulated a plan to distract the Empress. "But that's what I've got inside me, that Huon energy thing. Oi! Look at me, lady, I'm talking", she shouted when the Empress threatened to look in Lance's direction. "Where do I fit in? How comes I get all stacked up with these Huon particles? Look at me, you! Look me in the eye and tell me."

The Racnoss grinned, "The bride is so feisty."

Rose felt the Doctor's hand slip into her's as they both watched Lance near the Empress, fire axe held tightly.

"Yes, I am! And I don't know what you are, you big thing, but a spider's just a spider and an axe is an axe! Now, do it!"

Lance stated to swing the axe, lifting it above his head. The Empress turned and hissed at him, causing him to freeze. Lance slowly began to laugh and the Empress joined in.

"That was a good one. Your face", Lance cackled. Rose looked at him with a mixture of hatred and disgust.

"Lance is funny", the Empress giggled.

Donna was still confused. "What?"

Rose couldn't help it, and slowly stroked Donna's arm. "I'm sorry", her and the Doctor whispered.

Donna still didn't understand. "Sorry for what? Lance, don't be so stupid! Get her!"

Lance rolled his eyes. "God, she's thick" he spat. "Months I've had to put up with her. Months! A woman who can't even point to Germany on a map."

Donna's eyes softened as her shoulders sank. "I don't understand."

Rose turned to her completely. The giant spider and asshole fiancé could wait, Donna was more important. "How did you meet him?" she asked softly.

"In the office", Donna choked.

"He made you coffee", the Doctor sighed, saddened.

"What?"

Lance straightened up. "Every day, I made _you_ coffee.

At Donna's heart-breaking misunderstanding, the Doctor added, "You had to be dosed with liquid particles over six months."

"He was poisoning me", she whispered.

"It was all there in the job title", the Doctor turned to Lance. "The Head of Human Resources."

Lance smirked, seeing his opportunity for a joke. "This time, it's _personnel_." He laughed, and the Racnoss hissed in delight.

"But, we were getting married", Donna cried.

"Well, I couldn't risk you running off", Lance said. "I had to say yes. And then I was stuck with a woman who thinks the height of excitement is a new flavour Pringle. Oh, I had to sit there and listen to all that _yap,_ _yap,_ _yap_- Oh, Brad and Angelina -Is Posh pregnant?- X Factor, Atkins Diet, Feng Shui, split ends, text me, text me, text me. Dear God, the never ending fountain of fat, stupid trivia. I deserve a medal."

Rose stepped forward, boiling with anger. "Oh, is that what she's offered you? You asshole!"

Lance glared down at her as the Racnoss leant forward, as though she were examining her. "This one if feisty too!" she chortled. "And pretty. She'd be ever so tasty."

The Doctor let out a quiet but feral growl that sent a shiver down Rose's spine. The Doctor bounded forward, in front of the blonde. "What are you, her consort?" he scowled at Lance.

"It's better than a night with her", Lance pointed down at Donna.

If Donna's face got anymore heartbroken, Rose was sure she'd cry. "But I love you."

Lance didn't seem to care. "That's what made it easy. It's like you said, Doctor. The big picture. What's the point of it all if the human race is nothing? That's what the Empress can give me. The chance to go out there. To see it- the size of it all. I think you understand that, don't you, Doctor?"

"Who is this little physician?" the Empress roared.

Lance nodded to Donna. "She said Martian."

The Doctor waved an arm, moving, with Rose, to the other side of Donna. "Oh, I'm sort of homeless. But the point is, what's down here? The Racnoss are extinct. What's going to help you four thousand miles down? That's just the molten core of the Earth, isn't it?"

"I think he wants us to talk", Lance laughed.

"I think so, too" the Empress agreed.

Lance shook his head. "Well, tough! All we need is Donna."

The Empress wavered about on her legs, shaking her claws – were they claws?- in anger. "Kill this chattering little doctor man."

"Don't you hurt him!" Rose screeched, clutching the Doctor's arms tightly.

The Doctor peeled her hand from his arms, instead taking her fingers and entwining them with his.

"And his pretty little lover too!" the Empress of the Racnoss laughed, throwing her head back.

"No, I won't let them!" Donna cried.

The Empress shouted, "at arms!"

The robots around the room, all in black cloaks, turned their guns on the two time travellers.

The Doctor held up his free hand. "Ah, now. Except-"

"Take aim!" the Empress ignored him.

The Doctor shook his finger. "Well, I just want to point out the obvious", he supplied her with an option.

The Racnoss blinked, all 6 of her eyes closing at the same time. "They won't hit the bride. They're such very good shots."

"Just, just, just, just, just hold on. Hold on just a tick. Just a tiny little, just a little tick", the Doctor protested. "If you think about it, the particles activated in Donna and drew her inside my spaceship. So reverse it", he twisted the knob of the discarded Huon container, "and the spaceship comes to her."

"Fire!" the Empress screamed.

Rose closed her eyes tightly, waiting for the impact, but to her surprise, nothing came, except for the sounds of gunfire, which were growing quieter and quieter. Looking up, Rose saw the last remnants of the TARDIS appear in a cloud of golden smoke around her, the Doctor and Donna.

"Off we go!" the Doctor called, running to the console and dropping Rose's hand.

The Doctor, completely oblivious to Donna's shaking, sent the TARDIS into the vortex. Rose quickly moved to Donna's side as she sat down on the captain's seat. Ignoring the Doctor's yapping about the Racnoss, Rose touched Donna's arm lightly. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Donna looked up at her, her shaking increasing and her eyes wetting until tears streamed down her cheeks. "No", she gasped, obviously finding it hard to breath and cry at the same time. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she collapsed in Rose's arms, wiping away her tears. It was then that the Doctor finally noticed.

"We've arrived", he claimed, looking at them from around the console. Rose stepped back from Donna as the bride rubbed her red eyes. "Wanna see?"

Donna looked at the floor sadly. "I suppose."

The Doctor looked down at the scanner unhappily. "Oh, that scanner's a bit small. Maybe your way's best." He headed down the ramp, leaning against the railing. "Come on. No human's ever seen this. You'll be the first, you two."

Donna sighed but got up. "All I want to see is my bed."

The Doctor smiled lightly as Rose lead Donna down. "Rose Tyler, Donna Noble - welcome to the creation of the Earth." He opened the doors out at the lumps of rocks and dust that surrounded the TARDIS as the sun glared. The pink, purple and blue of the space around them was swirling in beautiful patterns almost like clouds as the rocks floated by. "We've gone back four point six billion years. There's no solar system, not yet. Only dust and rocks and gas. That's the Sun, over there. Brand new. Just beginning to burn."

Donna was awestruck. "Where's the Earth?"

The Doctor stared down at her. "All around us- in the dust."

Rose smiled, admiring the sight as she stood beside Donna. "End of the world, now the beginning. I think you have a bit of a fetish for the world Doctor", she teased.

The Doctor grinned at her. "Hey, I love humans", he beamed.

"Oh, do you?" Rose giggled.

"Yep", he laughed. "Especially blonde ones from London. Specifically the Powell Estate", he winked. Rose blushed.

Donna ignored them. "Puts the wedding in perspective. Lance was right. We're just tiny."

The Doctor looked down at her once again. "No, but that's what you do. The human race makes sense out of chaos. Marking it out with weddings and Christmas and calendars. This whole process is beautiful, but only if it's being observed."

"So I came out of all this?" Donna asked?

The Doctor looked away from her, not at the space in front of them, but at Rose. "Isn't it stunning?" he whispered dreamily. Rose was oblivious, looking out at the beauty of space, but Donna looked between them. She could almost see the love the Doctor had for this girl, radiated from him.

A large rock drifted past the doors. "I think that's the Isle of Wight", Donna joked sadly. Rose and the Doctor smiled.

"Eventually, gravity takes hold. Say, one big rock, heavier than the others, starts to pull other rocks towards it. All the dust and gas and elements get pulled in. Everything, piling in until you get-"

"-The Earth", Donna finished.

The Doctor looked out. "But the question is, what was that first rock?"

In the distance, a small speck began to grow, getting closer. Rose looked out as best as she could, but couldn't identify it until it's features became clear. When they did, she could make out seven pointed star spaceship coming out of a cloud of dust.

"Look", Donna breathed.

The Doctor followed her finger. "The Racnoss." He ran up towards the console, leaving Donna and Rose to watch as the star drew in the rocks and dust. Golden dust swirled like a tornado around the rock, pulling them in.

"Hold on. The Racnoss are hiding from the war. What's it doing?" the Doctor asked.

"Exactly what you said it would do", Rose called.

The Doctor joined them, just as the Racnoss ship began to get covered in the rocks as they plastered themselves to it like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. "Oh, they didn't just bury something at the centre of the Earth. They _became_ the centre of the Earth. The first rock."

The TARDIS suddenly shook, throwing Rose to the ground, the Doctor stumbling backwards and Donna collapsing against the rails. Rose looked up as the Doctor slammed the doors shut. "What was that?"

"Trouble", the Doctor promised, pulling her up.

All of them ran up the ramp to the main control panel as the TARDIS shook violently. Rose was used to it tossing her about but this was turbulence on a completely new scale. Even the Doctor slipped onto the floor, spinning around on his bum as she held onto the console.

"What the hell's it doing?" Donna cried.

The Doctor held Rose tightly to his side as he manoeuvred around the TARDIS. "Remember that little trick of mine, particles pulling particle? Well, it works in reverse. They're pulling us back!"

Rose gasped. "Well, can't you stop it? Hasn't it got a handbrake? Can't you reverse or warp or beam or something?" Donna screamed against the roaring of the TARDIS.

The Doctor pulled more levers. "Backseat driver", he said, but something seemed to pop into his mind. "Oh! Wait a minute! The extrapolator!"

Rose stared in shock as the Doctor pulled out the surfboard-like device from their second encounter with the Slytheen- back when he was big ears and leather.

"It can't stop us, but it should give us a good bump!" the Doctor cheered.

The TARDIS began to materialise in what Rose assumed was the lab, but just as it did, the Doctor slammed the mallet down on the extrapolator and, with a groan, the TARDIS relocated herself. The Doctor dropped everything, running for the door. The second they were out, Rose caught her breath.

"We're about two hundred yards to the right. Come on!" the Doctor called and began to head down a tunnel. Rose and Donna ran behind him.

"What have you still got that for?" Rose called as she ran. The Doctor looked back at her.

"What?"

"The Extrapolator", Rose supplied.

The Doctor shrugged. "Jack made it compatible with the TARDIS, why not?"

Turning back around, the Doctor ran faster, with Donna and Rose catching up just as he hit a door.

"What do we do?" Rose asked as she reached the Doctor's side.

"I don't know. I'm making it up as I go along. But I've got a history and you know it" he smirked.

Pulling out a stethoscope, the Doctor leant against the 'Torchwood' door.

"But I still don't understand. I'm full of particles, but what for?" Donna asked.

The Doctor refused to turn around, busy working on the door. "There's a Racnoss web at the centre of the Earth, but my people unravelled their power source. The Huon particles ceased to exist but the Racnoss were stuck."

Despite Rose's best efforts, she couldn't make a single sound as she was pulled back by a very firm and rough body. Gasping against the glove it wore, which muffled her cries into nothing, she looked over at Donna who was struggling just as much. Frightened, she turned back to the Doctor, but he had failed to notice.

"They've just taken hibernation for billions of years. Frozen, dead, kaput. So you're the new key. Brand new particles, living particles! They need you to open it and you have never been so quiet", he realised, turning around.

The entire tunnel was empty, with no doors, ladders or escape hatches they may have been taken down. "Oh!" he shouted, kicking the air. "Rose? Rose! Donna?"

Growling in frustration, he opened the door with the sonic, to reveal a robot pointing a gun at him.

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**Let me know what you thought :) Next chapter should be up this weekend **

**LoveAvonTARDIS**


	6. The Runaway Bride Part 4: I've Lost Her

**Sorry for the wait, but here it is :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not and never will, own Doctor Who. **

* * *

Donna, ensnared in the web, turned to Lance. "I hate you", she growled.

Lance smirked. "Yeah, I think we've gone a bit beyond that now, sweetheart." They both looked down at the large hole they were hung directly above, terrified.

"My golden couple, together at last", the Racnoss laughed. "Your awful wedded life. Tell me, do you want to be released?"

Donna and Lance didn't hesitate to shout a very loud, "Yes!"

The Empress leant forward on her legs. "You're supposed to say, I do."

Lance scoffed. "Huh. No chance."

The Empress roared with anger. "Say it!"

Lance looked across at Donna. In her eyes, he saw hope, but with his tone, it quickly diminished. "I do", he groaned.

Donna's heart sank, but she looked down at the giant spider. "I do."

"I don't", the Racnoss giggled manically. She then turned to look down at another of her prisoners, struggling against the pilot fish. "And the golden haired girl!" she laughed. "You'll be such a lovely treat!"

Rose gasped, pulling at the arms of her captors, but their mechanical hands were far too tight. She cried out when their hands tightened around her upper arms – a warning.

"Leave her alone!" Donna yelled.

The Empress laughed. "Activate the particles. Purge every last one."

Donna and Lance hung perfectly still as the light radiating from them blinded them. Rose watched as Donna glowed a thick gold while Lance's was a weaker tone. Lance, unlike Donna, began to struggle. Rose looked down at herself, surprised that her mind was burning like before.

The Empress didn't care for chit-chat. "And release!" she yelled.

A thick stream of Huon particles zoomed straight down from Donna followed closely by a weaker stream from Lance. The particles fell straight into the hole so kindly dug by Torchwood.

"The secret heart unlocks, and they will waken from their Sleep of Ages", the Racnoss laughed.

Rose attempted to shove the robots off of her. "What's down there?" she cried.

Lance stared down at her. "And I thought she was thick", he scoffed, nodding to Donna.

The Empress of the Racnoss grinned. "My children, the long lost Racnoss, now reborn to feast on flesh! The web star shall come to me. My babies will be hungry. They need sustenance. Perish the web."

Rose gasped. "No!"

Lance shook violently, not even considering that his shifting could break the web. "Use her, not me! Use her!" he screamed, indicating to Donna, who's heart sank.

The Empress waved around her claws as though showing them off. "Oh, my funny little Lance! But you are quite impolite to your lady friend. The Empress does not approve." She reached up, claws at the ready and pulled back, catching the web and splitting it. It fell open like a parcel and Lance dove straight into the hole as Donna screamed and Rose let out a cry.

"Harvest the humans! Reduce them to meat!" she ordered.

Although Rose couldn't see or hear what was happening, she had no doubt it was bad. Closing her eyes tightly she tried to remove the mental pictures of the death that was probably happening right above her. "Doctor", she whispered, eyes still closed. "Help us, please."

"My children are climbing towards me and none shall stop them." The Racnoss swung her claw dangerously close to Rose and she screamed, ducking her head as best as she could with the robots still holding her. "So you might as well unmask, my clever little doctor man."

Rose gasped, looking up at the stairwell that one of the robots was standing on. Hope flooded her system as he reached up and tore its mask and robe from its body. "Oh well. Nice try", the Doctor smiled. Rose's heartbeat increased tenfold.

She could see the Doctor look around the room urgently for a second, probably looking for her, before he looked up at Donna. "I've got you, Donna!" He took his screwdriver from his pocket, pointing it at the web surrounded Donna, which began to give way.

Donna gasped, clutching a thick strip of web. "I'm going to fall!"

The Doctor grinned. "Nope! You're going to swing! I've got you!

Screaming, Donna swung across the hole, past the Empress. The Doctor's arms were open in welcome, but were pointless, since the strand of web was a good six feet too long. Screaming, Donna hit the level beneath the Doctor before dropping the ground with a loud _clang._

The Doctor was shocked. "Oh. Sorry", he apologised.

Donna, now sprawled out on the floor, slapped her hands on the concrete. "Thanks for _nothing_." She stared to get up.

The Racnoss let out a laugh. "The doctor man amuses me. But I'm sure, physician, that you would hate to see another of your associates die." She cackled madly as she pointed towards Rose.

Rose, who stared up the Doctor with a new found hope inside, continued to thrash against the robots. Seeing her struggle, the Doctor tensed up, gritting his teeth.

"Empress of the Racnoss," he addressed her with such hatred. "I give you one last chance. I can find you a planet. I can find you and your children a place in the universe to co-exist. Take that offer and end this now."

The Empress turned to Rose. "Your lover is so funny."

Rose ignored her, swallowing thickly.

"What's your answer?" he called down.

The Empress smiled in a way Rose could only identify as smarmy or cocky. "Oh I'm afraid I have to decline."

Rose watched as the Doctor's eyes darkened. She hated this. She knew that the Doctor was ever so protective of her, and when it came to an entire species safety, or just hers, the Oncoming Storm was released. He cast her an apologetic glance before turning back to the Empress. "What happens next is your own doing."

The mother Racnoss scoffed. "I'll show _you_ what happens next. At arms! Take aim! And-"

"-Relax", the Doctor said calmly.

Rose watched as the robots formally pointing guns, slumped. The ones holding her in a tight grip relaxed too and Rose took her chance to pull away from them. She stumbled slightly, clutching her bruised arms.

"What did you do?" Donna asked the Doctor.

He kept his eyes trained on Rose as she ran across the lab to a flight of stairs as far away from the Racnoss as possible. "Guess what I've got, Donna?" He grinned, pulling out a large robot remote control. "Pockets!"

"How did that fit in there?"

"They're bigger on the inside", he said, all emotion gone from his face. Looking back over to Rose, he spotted her reaching the first floor of the stairs- he was on the 3rd, and Donna on the second.

"Roboforms are not necessary. My children may feast on Martian flesh" the Empress threatened.

The Doctor's face remained completely void of emotion as he stood tall, looking down at the Racnoss. "Oh, but I'm not from Mars."

"Then where?" she hissed.

The Doctor looked over at Rose briefly, who had frozen in her place, waiting to see what his answer would be. "My home planet is far away and long since gone. But its name lives on", he paused, watching the Racnoss closely. "Gallifrey."

The Empress gasped and began to thrash violently, limbs flying as she hissed uncontrollably. "They murdered the Racnoss!" she screamed.

"I warned you. You did this." The Doctor went into his pockets, and pulled forth several Christmas bauble explosives.

The Empress gasped "No! No! Don't! No!"

The Doctor ignored her and threw one bauble in the air at a time. For a moment they simply floated around the Racnoss before the Doctor drove them into different directions using the remote. Many left the room, but Rose could hear explosions all around her. Gasping, she scrambled further up the steps as water gushed into the room from the Thames. More exploded around the Racnoss and fires broke up, staying alight even as more pipes burst and the water began to gush its way into the room at a terrifying speed. Looking up at the Doctor, Rose realised she had never seen this side of him before now.

The water rained down on them all and, as Rose reached Donna, a wave of water spilled into the room and straight down the hole in the centre of the room. It filled the hole in no time and screaming could be heard from inside as all of the Racnoss children drowned. Fire burst behind the Doctor but he simply watched on in silence, showing no emotion as the water whirled and went down like a plug hole.

"No! No! My children! No! My children!"

Donna and Rose looked on, watching everything happen, completely shocked. Rose was crying, and Donna was close to tears also. They looked around them, at all of the destruction, and Rose felt her heart sink, knowing the Doctor had caused all of it.

The Racnoss continued to cry as she flayed about. "My children!" she roared once more.

The Doctor stood, hair matted against his forehead from the water, face empty of emotion and hands still resting on the remote.

Donna turned around, holding Rose's hand in hers as the blonde cried out. She looked up at the man she had met only a few hours ago. "Doctor!" he looked down at her, hair skimming his vision. "You can stop now!"

The Doctor looked down at Rose as she cried, wiping her soaking hair out of her eyes and watching the carnage. Gritting his teeth, his eyes softened and he dropped the remote at his feet. Staring down at her, knowing that, for once in her life, she was truly terrified of him.

He swallowed before leaning over the railings. "Come on. Time I got you two out!" he called.

Soaked to the skin, Donna led Rose out of the room and up the stairs towards the Doctor, who cleared their path. His eyes were undeniably on Rose the entire time, but she dared not look at him. The Racnoss transported away. The got out and began to climb the ladder, the Doctor first, the Donna and then Rose- who was still panting heavily as she climbed up after Donna.

"But what about the Empress?" Donna shouted as she followed the Doctor up the ladder.

"She's used up all her Huon energy. She's defenceless!" he shouted merrily. They both pushed the door open as a bright light shot through the sky.

Rose was behind them, but winced against the bright light. Blinking against the water that still invaded her vision, she continued to climb until she reached the top and Donna helped to pull her onto the roof herself and the Doctor stood on.

Donna held onto the Doctor as she tried to steady herself with her heels and soon broke out into a laugh. Rose stood back, shocked as she looked out at what was formally known as the Thames. At realising they drained it, or rather the Doctor did, Donna laughed harder. Ignoring them both, Rose steadied herself and began to climb down the hole once more as she went out to seek the TARDIS.

"Rose?" the Doctor called, spinning on the spot and looking down as she slowly sank into the hole. "What're you doing?"

Rose looked up at him and her eyes said far more than the Doctor would have liked. It wasn't only fear she felt when looking at him, but also disappointment. Swallowing the lump in his throat, the Doctor waited for a reply. Rose looked down at her feet as she ignored him and continued to climb down.

The Doctor let out a sigh as his eyes watered. He knew then and there, that he had probably just lost her. He didn't think she would _physically_ leave the TARDIS, but he had definitively lost a part of her. Probably the part he wanted most; her trust.

"Come with me", the Doctor offered.

Truthfully, he'd be delighted for her to come. She was strong, smart, brave and wouldn't take anything from anyone, alien or otherwise. She'd be a great addition to the TARDIS team.

Donna looked at him sadly. "No."

The Doctor sucked in a breath, having not expected that. "Okay."

"I can't."

The Doctor shook his head, trying to mask the loneliness he felt. "No, that's fine."

Donna bit her lip, looking at her feet. "No, but really. Everything we did today. Do you live your life like that?"

The Doctor frowned. "Not all the time."

The redhead laughed lightly. "I think you do. And I couldn't", she sighed.

He leant his head against the door. "But you've seen it out there. It's _beautiful_."

Donna nodded but her smile soon disappeared and was replaced by a frown. "And it's terrible. That place was flooding and burning and they were dying, and you were stood there like, I don't know, a stranger. And _Rose- " _

At the mention of her name, the Doctor looked back into the TARDIS longingly. The second they had retrieved the TARDIS, she had headed straight to her room, bidding Donna her own farewell before leaving. That had been nearly an hour ago – it had taken the Doctor some time to fix the console, what with some water having got inside- and he hadn't seen her since.

"She was **_terrified_**, Doctor. And you just stood there while she cried, completely ignoring it. She couldn't even look at you afterwards. And then you made it snow. I mean, you scare me to death" she gushed, laughing slightly at the end as though to lighten the mood.

The Doctor nodded sadly, eyes on the floor. His bottom lip quivered as he held back his tears. "Right", he nodded.

"Tell you what I will do, though. Christmas dinner. Oh, come on", she grinned, nodding to her house.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't do that sort of thing."

Donna opened her mouth as though to protest but froze before nodding slowly. "Okay."

Smiling sadly, Donna looked him over. "Am I ever going to see you again?"

"If I'm lucky", he nodded.

Donna looked down at her feet before casting a glance inside the open door of the TARDIS. "Just promise me one thing. Don't lose her Doctor."

The Doctor sighed, looking down at his hands as he fiddled with his fingers. "I think I already have", he whispered hoarsely.

Donna shook her head, smiling. "Nah. She's just scared at the moment, she'll get over it. Just, be there for her Doctor."

The Doctor nodded, "Yeah", he whispered. Perking up immediately, he grinned. "Thanks then, Donna. Good luck. And just be _magnificent_."

Doctor smirked. "I think I will, yeah."

The Doctor nodded, waving once more before sliding inside the TARDIS and shutting the door. After a moment or two she began to dematerialise. Donna watched on as it shot into the sky, evaporating like water and disappearing into the air. She smiled softly before back to her house and heading inside.


	7. Smith and Jones Part 1: Plasma Coils

Chapter 7 – Smith and Jones Part 1 – Chips and Plasma Coils

For Rose, the next few hours after Donna's departure were Hell. It wasn't because she loved him any less or that she didn't want to be around him, but she needed some time to get the image of the Doctor standing in the burning, flooding building, completely emotionless, out of her head.

The Doctor, like his usual self, kept away and allowed her time to herself. He kept himself busy by tinkering with machinery within the TARDIS that technically didn't need fixing or changing- but it was just what he did. He steered away from where he knew she was and simply gave her time to relax.

It was around 2 days later that Rose and the Doctor left the TARDIS. They were in a good position and were happy, but both of them knew that they needed to take their minds off of what had happened. It was nice to get out, even if they did just head to London for chips.

"God, I've missed chips", Rose giggled, throwing one into her mouth with a grin.

The Doctor moaned in agreement around a chip. "Hmm… I mean, the TARDIS cooks great but chip shop chips… Wow!" he beamed.

Rose smiled, leaning towards him to take a salty chip from his plate. She knew that she was ready to be daring and… herself with the Doctor again.

Grinning, the Doctor did the same, smacking his lips joyfully as he watched her laugh. "You're beautiful when you laugh", he sighed.

Rose blushed, biting her bottom lip somewhat nervously. She quickly reached over, shoving him lightly. "So, why did we come here instead of the usual place?"

The Doctor's smile disappeared at this and he furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "I noticed something funny and thought I'd check it out. Plus, you wanted chips and it's just around the corner from the Hospital I want to have a look at so, why not?" he winked. Rose scoffed, shaking her head with a soft laugh.

"So, are we going to this mystery hospital then?"

The Doctor nodded, sliding out of his seat. "C'mon then. Allons-y!"

Rose smirked but stayed seated, clutching her plate of chips closer. "Let me finish first", she said, throwing countless salty chips into her open mouth and chewing them happily.

Laughing, the Doctor leant down and pecked her cheek. Rose looked up at him before finishing her chips.

When they finally reached the hospital, Rose checked herself in for abdominal pains under the name Rose Smith- something which undeniably made the Doctor grin. He claimed to be her husband and stayed the day with her, leaving every so often to check around the hospital for clues. Rose was either very annoyed at her inability to join him on his searches or the terrible food they supplied, because she was distant. They laughed and flirted like usual, but she seemed to struggle just to plaster her usual smile on her face

"What's wrong Rose?" the Doctor asked, gently caressing her hospital gown clad leg.

Rose sighed. "It's not much, just that I feel kind of useless. It's like with Queen Victoria. I was just trapped down it that cellar, missing the fun. It annoys me…just a bit."

"A _bit?" _The Doctor teased.

Rose smiled widely but furthermore ignored him. Flicking on the TV across from her, she settled back into the pillows.

After watching 4 episodes of the Simpsons with Rose, the Doctor grew antsy and Rose knew he needed to investigate. His entire body was jittery and he couldn't sit still for too long. Eventually, he agreed to leave, promising to return with chips from the shop down the road. Rose nodded, sending him on his way.

Flicking, half-asleep, through the channels, Rose let her eyes flutter closed as she continued to press the UP button periodically.

"The next bush tucker- coming from the south- Harold Saxon made an appearance- the finale-"

Grumbling, Rose switched off the TV and leant back, letting her eyes flutter closed.

It wasn't until a few hours later that Rose woke up to the Doctor arriving with a bowl of chips. After thanking him repeatedly, Rose dug in as the Doctor collapsed into the seat beside her.

"So, did you find anything?"

The Doctor slumped his shoulders. "Not as of yet. Although, I can tell the plasma coils have at least doubled in strength since we arrived so whatever's happening, it's happening soon."

Rose nodded, equally as worried. "So, what do we do?"

The Doctor ran a hand down his face in exasperation. He leant back in the chair, "Not sure yet", he said. "At the moment, we'll have to make it up as we go along."

Rose grinned, settling back in the pillows. With a yawn, she rubbed her aching eyes and turned to the Doctor. "I'm still really tired", she sighed.

"But you slept for 6 hours last night and I got back 4 hours ago and you were asleep. How can you still be tired?" he asked with a tinge of confusion. Rose shrugged.

"I don't know but I am", she blinked back her tiredness to gaze at him once more.

The Doctor shook his head with a smile. "You humans and your need for sleep."

Rose ignored him but couldn't help but giggle quietly, "Night."

Smiling softly, the Doctor nodded and leant down to tenderly kiss her hair. "Goodnight Rose."

Rose awoke to the soft humming of the multiple machines around her. Lounging by her side, somewhat conscious, was the Doctor, flicking lazily through a copy of Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens. She could faintly hear the sound of oncoming voices, obviously not very far away, but her suspicions were confirmed when she felt the bed move and the Doctor's weight on her shoulder disappear. She heard the sound of the curtain as it was drawn back.

Sitting up to have a look, Rose was met with several faces of young trainee doctors and nurses, all nervously watching as their superior, Rose assumed, stepped forward to address the patient- i.e. her. Only one of the entire group failed to look intimidated by him. She was a dark skinned girl and looked no older than 25.

"Now then, Mrs Smith- a very good morning to you. How are you today?" the elder of the group asked.

Her eyes flicked from the doctor to… well, the Doctor. "Oh", she breathed. "Not so bad. Still a bit, you know, blah", she stuck her tongue out.

The doctor, whose name tag read 'Stoker', turned to his students, thrusting a hand towards her as he explained their predicament. "Rose Smith, admitted yesterday with severe abdominal pains. Her husband, John Smith, refused to leave so, hello to you too Mr Smith." The Doctor nodded in acknowledgement. "Jones, why don't you see what you can find? Amaze me."

The dark-skinned woman stepped forward, looking Rose over before looking up at her partner, who was fidgeting on the balls of his feet. "That wasn't very clever, running around outside, when your wife is in the hospital- was it?"

The Doctor looked startled. "Sorry?"

The student rolled her eyes. "On Chancellor Street this morning? You came up to me and took your tie off."

"Really? What did I do that for?" the Doctor gasped half-jokingly.

"I don't know, you just did", she shrugged.

The Doctor furrowed his eyebrows in concentration. "Not me. I was here, with my wife. Ask the nurses."

Martha slowly dropped the stethoscope and let it dangle around her neck. "Well, that's weird, because it looked like you. Have you got a twin?"

Shaking his head, the Doctor puckered his lower lip sadly. "No, not any more, it's just me and Rose."

As Rose watched the exchange, she couldn't help but frown. Thinking about the Doctor having a brother rocked her to her core, knowing that if he did then he would be long since gone.

They were interrupted by the senior doctor's voice, who was obviously a very impatient man. "As time passes and I grow ever more infirm and weary, Miss Jones."

The student in question nodded, turning back to Rose. "Sorry. Right." She grabbed the stethoscope once again and placed it on Rose's chest, listening to her heartbeat. Rose shifted until she was comfortable and let the apprentice listen for her heart. Rose couldn't help but grin when she pulled back and stared at Rose in shock. As she looked her over, Rose realised with a gasp that there was no hint of humour in her eyes. Rose sent her a worried and somewhat terrified look as she tried to determine what the doctor's reaction was all about.

"I weep for future generations. Are you having trouble locating the heart, Miss Jones?" Mr Stoker asked sarcastically.

Martha stepped back, dazed. "Er, I don't know. Stomach cramps?"

"That is a symptom, not a diagnosis. And you rather failed basic techniques by not consulting first with the patient's chart", he criticized.

As he took Rose's chart in hand, he attempted to read it over, but before he did, he gasped and threw it onto the bed by Rose's feet in surprise.

"That happened to me this morning", Jones said, referring to the electric shock.

"I had the same thing on the door handle", another student agreed.

"And me, on the lift."

Stoker shook his head, brushing it aside. "That's only to be expected. There's a thunderstorm moving in and lightning is a form of static electricity, as was first proven by. Anyone?"

Seeing it as his opportunity, the Doctor brightened up and addressed the group. "Benjamin Franklin", he grinned knowingly.

The doctor raised an eyebrow at him. "Correct", he said cautiously.

Never knowing when to stop, the Doctor continued. "My mate, Ben. That was a day and a half. I got rope burns off that kite, and then I got soaked."

"Quite", Stoker laughed, void of any humour.

Rose shook her head, deciding to join in. "And then you got electrocuted", she giggled.

Looking increasingly more worried, Mr Stoker moved back slightly. "Moving on", he said, guiding the students away. Despite his best efforts, both Rose and the Doctor heard his muttering as he moved away. "I think perhaps a visit from psychiatric.

Rose winked as she watched Martha follow her teacher, looking back at them in wonder. The second she could no longer be seen, the Doctor burst into a light-hearted laugh, nudging Rose.

"I know!" Rose squealed, shoving him back.

Around an hour later, the Doctor grew tired, although he denied it as much as possible. Rose giggled, gently taking his head and resting it against her chest as she laid back. The Doctor smirked, taking his head away to smile at her before lowering his head to her neck and burrowing it into her hair, sighing contently and falling asleep.

Rose was still slightly shocked at seeing him sleep. It was a rare occurrence and even rarer that she actually witnessed it. He looked so peaceful in his sleep and Rose grew somewhat sympathetic to the man she loved. He was so broken and ruined by all of the things he had seen, but he was so perfect in her eyes. When he slept, the sorrow in his eyes was hidden and Rose could finally see a relaxed man without the weight of the universe on his shoulders.

"I'll tell you what we'll do", the Doctor heard Martha say. He passed the staff kitchen, looking inside briefly. Martha was frozen, shocked to see him and beside her, a younger woman was bent over and looking through a cupboard. The Doctor's gaze hovered outside the window before he took a breath and heading away.

Martha stood perplexed for a moment more. "We tell Dad and Annalise to get there early.."

The Doctor, now frantically running back to Rose's ward, looked through all of the passing rooms, seeing the same clouds and rain outside each. He knew he was close to Rose's room, her scent was getting stronger- the fruity mix of cinnamon and _time. _As he ran through one of the larger wards, he skidded to a stop. In front of him was a large window that covered the majority of the wall. He took a tentative step towards it and looked outside. The streets around them were normal and from what he could see, the concrete was dry as a bone. Frowning the Doctor looked at the rain that slid across the windows. Nothing unusual, right?

The Doctor smirked- there was never nothing unusual. He looked closer and when he spotted it, he cursed himself for being so blind. Spinning on his foot and ignoring the criticizing nurses call for him, he raced back to Rose's room. Just as he reached the door, their eyes met and the Doctor nervously shook his head.

He put his foot forward to make his way over to her when the building shook and he was thrown to the floor. A bright, glaring light burst through the windows as the patients around them screamed in surprise and fear. Rose yelped, clutching to the edge of the bed as the building rocked. She looked over at the Doctor who was kicking at the ground, trainers sliding across the polished surface as he tried to get to her bedside. The shaking soon stilled and the building settled with a loud, resonating thud. Rose looked around her and examined everything with her eyes. The Doctor was instantly at her side.

"What was _that_?" Rose gasped, steadying the Doctor.

The Doctor shrugged. "No idea. But hurry, get changed."

Rose nodded, collecting her clothes and getting off of the bed. The Doctor took the curtain just as Martha and her friend entered. He looked them over for a second before pulling the curtain closed and looked back at Rose.

As she slowly stripped of her hospital gown, she cast a glance his way. Seeing his eyes glued to her, she smirked and addressed him. "So, Mister, what do you think it is?"

The Doctor's head snapped up to meet her gaze. He coughed uncomfortably, blushing. "A H20 scoop probably. And there's not many people that do that so…"

"So..?" Rose urged him to continue but the Doctor simply shook his head and waved his hand.

"C'mon!" he chuckled, watching her hurriedly pull her trousers up before slinging her shirt over her head. "We haven't got all day."

Rose rolled her eyes as she quickly pulled her own converses on. The Doctor, having picked them out early, smirked and nodded to his own pair with a hint of pride. Rose got up, nudging him jokingly before pulling the curtain open.

Standing at the window with her younger friend, was Martha. Her hand was on the handle of the window prepared to open it and her friend was nervously clutching her arm.

"But they're not exactly air tight", Martha sighed, thinking. "If the air was going to get sucked out it would have happened straight away, but it didn't. So how come?"

The Doctor stepped forward and made himself known. "Very good point," Martha turned to him in surprise. "Brilliant, in fact. What was your name?"

Rose rolled her eyes once more, knowing that he was simply testing her – the Doctor didn't forget names so easily.

Martha sized him up. "Martha", she scoffed.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Jones, right?"

Martha nodded.

"Well then, Martha Jones, the question is, how are we still breathing?" the Doctor joined her at the window, pulling Rose with him.

Her nervous friend took a breath. "We can't be!" she cried.

The Doctor looked straight forward but his jaw was clenched. "Obviously we are, so don't waste my time", Rose nudged him. The Doctor frowned but ignored her. "Martha, what have we got? Is there a balcony on this floor, or a veranda, or-"

"By the patients' lounge, yeah."

"Fancy going out?" the Doctor grinned.

Martha didn't even need a second to think. "Okay."

Rose was shocked. "We might die", she reminded the woman.

"We might not", Martha insisted.

Rose and the Doctor shared a look. Smiling widely, the Doctor took Rose's hand again and looked at Martha. "Good. Come on." He then looked at Martha's friend. "Not her, she'd hold us up."

As they made their way to the patient's longue with Martha not far behind, Rose looked up at the Doctor. "That was really mean", she chided.

The Doctor looked down at her, expecting to see her joking smile. Frowning, he looked at his feet as he walked. "I know", he sighed. "But it was true and we're in a bit of a crisis here. I couldn't waste time with her."

Rose cast him a look that the Doctor couldn't quite identify. It was still strange to look at the man without seeing everything in the Thames all over again, and in moments like this, when his emotions were running wild and he was stressed, the rage inside of him slowly crept its way out. And that was what Rose hated, when he let his rage control and determined who he was.

* * *

**So sorry for the wait, I know it's been crazy but I haven't written anything AT ALL since 3 weeks ago and I have serious writer's block (not that I believe in such a thing).**

**It's been crazy. I've started to watch the show Supernatural (and just saying; if you don't ship DESTIEL then you are blind) so I've been busy watching that like everyday since I'm watching it with my sister and she has no patience :) Apart from that, I have exams called GCSE's coming up. I'm doing the coursework for one now so it's really stressing me out. Incase you dont know, since they're like only in England, GCSEs are big coursework and test based exams that you take. They basically get you into college so... you know. It's kind of big for me. **

**Anyway, enough of my rambling. Hope you liked it. Any questions or comments? LEAVE A REVIEW :)**


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